In 2019, the Hispanics made up 18% of the US population, accounting for 60 million people, according to Census Bureau population estimates. This means that the number of eligible Latinx voters has grown exponentially, and therefore, as a group, Hispanics/Latinos have a lot of political influence in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

Voting is a right and a responsibility afforded to citizens. Voting allows citizens the ability to 1) choose leaders who will represent their ideals and decide the future of their communities and 2) have a say in the laws that affect their everyday lives.

Before voting, it is important to educate yourself about the issues, candidates and to ask yourself what direction you want your country to go in. Many citizens yearn for a more prosperous, just and equal future for all US citizens. To achieve this goal, it is important to be informed and aware of the issues and candidate stances. There is a lot of misinformation (“fake news”), it is important to rely on reputable/trustworthy sources.

Many states with large Latinx populations are key decision states for the 2020 presidential election. This makes our voice more powerful as we truly can decide the course of the election.

It is extremely important that we ensure active representation and participation of Latinxs in public office. Representation of our community is important to ensuring the needs and desires of our communities are addressed, especially through public policies that respond to the interests and needs of Hispanic communities.

Finally, it is essential for public representatives to be accountable to voters. Through an accountability process, democracy is strengthened and credibility is fostered. Voting is just one of many accountability measures, but others can also be instilled to assure that political officers are responsive to and able to report and justify their decisions.

A single vote can make a huge difference to improve the quality of life of Latinx people and ensure dignity in aging in the United States. NHCOA invites and encourages Latinx eligible voters to register to vote, research the candidates and laws that you will be asked to vote on and to show representation of Latinx communities in the presidential election on November 3rd.

 If you would like to know about voting process, make sure to visit www.usa.gov/voting   or you can register your vote in www.vote.gov   

References:

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/65-older-population-grows.html