Utah Hispanics urged to make voices heard
Although they make up 10 percent of Utah's population, exit polling by Brigham Young University indicates that in 2000, only about 2.2 percent of those who voted were Hispanic, and in 2002 it was 2.4 percent.
"A lot of Latinos are U.S. citizens who don't exercise their right to vote," said Haro, chairwoman of the Utah Hispanic/Latino Leadership Committee and multicultural regional president for Zions Bank.
Haro believes that of the approximately 230,000 Latinos in Utah, there are 50,000 eligible voters who aren't registered, based on information from the census and new citizenship.
In those numbers, Haro sees opportunity. She's among organizers of "Mi Voto Cuenta," or "My Vote Counts," a bipartisan statewide effort to register some 20,000 Latino voters, educate them on issues and encourage them to vote.
"Latinos are not politically active because they don't know who the candidates are, and the candidates don't spend any money on the Hispanic market," Haro said. "If I only listen to Spanish TV or radio, how would I know who Jon Huntsman (Jr.) is?"
"Register and vote because your vote counts, for you, your family and your community," the ad in Mundo Hispano reads.
The two candidates will also participate in a meet-and-greet with Latino voters on Oct. 12.
Community partners include the leadership committee, Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Utah Legislative Task Force, Zions Bank and others.
The effort largely targets new citizens who haven't voted before, but it's also reaching out to more established community members.
Michelle Cabral is a native of Utah who recently re-registered to vote — at the Zions Bank Rose Park branch — after moving.
Cabral, 43, believes Utah's lawmakers should do more to reach out to the rapidly growing Hispanic population. Education for her grandchildren and immigration are key issues on her list.
"We Americans don't know what we have," Cabral said. "The right to vote is very important. Your vote does count. . . . If everyone got out to vote, it would make a big difference."
Olga Benedict, manager of the Zions Bank Rose Park branch, is a native of Mexico and scheduled to become a citizen in time to vote this November.
"It's something I've been looking forward to for several years," she said. "This will be exciting."
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