by Lisa Ramirez

UnidosNow is excited to launch a new voter engagement initiative for this November’s election cycle. The Mi Voto, Mi Futuro Campaign will empower young women ambassadors— predominantly Latinas—to help their peers and family members learn about, and participate in, the 2020 election process.

The digital project will promote voter registration, vote by mail – especially in this time of corona virus – early voting, and election day voting, particularly among young people, but also adults who may be non or new voters.

In addition to connecting directly with their friends and family members who are eligible to vote, the student ambassadors will lead the development of youth- friendly content for social media, as part of a broader educational campaign to encourage young people to cast their ballots. The project will promote key deadlines in the State of Florida, including:

• October 5^th – Voter registration deadline
• October 31^st – Deadline to request a Vote By Mail (VBM) ballot
• November 3^rd – Election day and deadline to submit a VBM ballot (or vote in person) 

While Latinos comprise 11% of Sarasota County, they make up 4.08% of total registered voters. Similarly, in Manatee County, the Latinx community is 19% of the total population, but comprises 7.10% of registered voters. 

Education and civic engagement are key tenets of UnidosNow’s mission. Our vision statement is to empower Latinos to achieve their American Dream. This, fundamentally, includes the ability to meaningfully be a part of selecting decision and policy makers who will impact the future of our communities and families.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Athena Progressive Giving Circle, a fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, this project will support new and potential voters on their path to the American Dream.