Darren Soto

10/02/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2024 08:20

Soto, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Host Roundtable Focused on Voting Rights Issues in Hispanic Communities

Soto, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Host Roundtable Focused on Voting Rights Issues in Hispanic Communities

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October 2, 2024

Attendees spoke about barriers affecting access to the ballot box and ways to work on the federal, state, and local levels to mitigate issues

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last week, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Vice Chair of Policy Darren Soto and CHC Chair Nanette Barragán hosted a roundtable with CHC members, Congressional leadership, Biden-Harris Administration officials, and community stakeholders focused on voting rights issues affecting Hispanic communities ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

During the roundtable, attendees spoke about barriers affecting access to the ballot box for Latinos across the country-such as reducing vote-by-mail and early vote options, mis/disinformation, gerrymandering, language barriers, petition drive limitations, and other suppression tactics-and ways Congress and the Executive branch can work in local communities to mitigate issues.

"It is crucial that we address the pressing barriers that hinder Latino communities' access to the ballot. From making it harder to vote to widespread dissemination of misinformation/disinformation to gerrymandering, language obstacles, and other forms of voter suppression, these challenges disproportionately affect Hispanic voters," said CHC Vice Chair of Policy Soto. "We must foster collaboration across federal, state, and local levels to protect voting rights. By taking meaningful action, we can empower local communities and ensure that every Latino voice is heard and respected in our democracy." "The Congressional Hispanic Caucus knows that our vote is our voice, and we will protect the rights of all Americans to register and cast their vote - including our Latino communities. Serious barriers like voter suppression, language access issues, and gerrymandering continue to impact Latino voters and threaten to weaken our voices," said CHC Chair Barragán. "The CHC Voting Rights Roundtable brought together CHC Members, Congressional leadership, and expert stakeholders from across the country to discuss the challenges and collaborate on new policy ideas to protect Latinos' right to vote. We are committed to the expansion of access to the ballot box, voter education, and the elimination of obstacles to register and vote in order to ensure that every Latino voter can fully participate in our democracy." "As a member of the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections, I am deeply concerned about the increasing spread of misinformation in our electoral process. With the November election approaching, it is imperative to raise awareness about the deceptive use of artificial intelligence creating fake videos that mislead Americans with false information about our candidates, especially among Americans whose first language is not English, including Latinos," said CHC Vice Chair of Communications Norma Torres. "Additionally, it is crucial to safeguard our election workers from potential threats, harassment, or mistreatment. My colleagues and I voiced our concerns during the roundtable discussions to advocate for fair and transparent elections. It is essential for us to continue our efforts to ensure a peaceful transfer of power and to uphold the United States as a beacon of free and equitable elections." "I'm thankful for the leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for leaning into the importance of making sure that we move legislation forward that's going to protect the right to vote for the Latino community and for every single American," said House Democratic Caucus Leader Hakeem Jeffries. "Extreme MAGA Republicans are abandoning democracy and doubling and tripling down on Trump's Project 2025. Which is why, at the very top of our governing agenda, as soon as we get the opportunity to do so early in the next Congress, we are committed to moving both the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act so we can end the era of voter suppression in America once and for all." "The right to vote is foundational to our democracy," said House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu. "Unfortunately, communities of color are often targeted by voter suppression laws designed to dissuade people from casting their votes. As we head into a national election in November, it is essential to ensure all Americans have access to the ballot box. I am pleased to stand alongside my House Democratic colleagues to push back against voter suppression efforts. Thank you to Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Nanette Barragán, Vice Chair of Policy Darren Soto and Leader Hakeem Jeffries for gathering advocates and stakeholders to discuss pressing voting rights issues facing Hispanic communities ahead of the presidential election."
In addition to Vice Chair of Policy Soto and Chair Barragán, the following Members of Congress were present at the roundtable:
  • House Democratic Caucus Leader Hakeem Jeffries
  • House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu
  • CHC Vice Chair of Member Engagement Tony Cárdenas
  • CHC Vice Chair of Communications Norma Torres
  • CHC Whip Sylvia Garcia
  • CHC Freshman Representative Andrea Salinas
  • Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández
  • Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García
  • Rep. Delia Ramirez

The roundtable was attended by the following Biden-Harris Administration officials:

  • Ben Hovland, Chair, U.S. Election Assistance Commission
  • Rochelle Garza, Chair, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
  • Ann Lewis, Director of Technology Transformation Services, U.S. General Services Administration
The roundtable was also attended by the following stakeholders:
  • Jose Artemio Arreola, Director of Communications at Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights "ICIRR"
  • Roberta Braga, Founder and Executive Director at Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA)
  • Anais Carmona, Director of Congressional Affairs at Microsoft
  • Sian I. Du'Prey, Midwest Programs Director at Hispanic Federation
  • Valerio Martinelli, Legislative Director at NALEO Educational Fund
  • Rebecca Mears, Director for Democracy at Center for American Progress
  • Christina Morales, Texas State Representative, House District 145
  • Liliana Ranon, Vice President of External Affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters
  • Michael Rios, Senior Data Scientist at UCLA Voting Rights Project
  • Lourdes M. Rosado, President & General Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF
  • Gabriel Sanchez, Senior Fellow/Professor at the University of New Mexico, Brookings Institution
  • Andrea Senteno, Regional Counsel at MALDEF
  • Dr. Ray Serrano, National Director of Research and Policy at League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
  • Marcos Vilar, Executive Director at Alianza for Progress

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