Every year, about 1.4 million Hispanics in the United States become eligible to vote, according to the Pew Research Center. Latinos have grown at the second-fastest rate of any major racial and ethnic group in the U.S. electorate since the last presidential election.
But getting the estimated 36.2 million who are eligible to vote this year to actually cast a ballot has proven to be a challenge. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino reported that of the nearly 30 million Latino eligible voters, only 16.5 million voted in 2020.
Poder NC, a nonprofit organization in North Carolina committed to uplifting the Latino community, has adopted an innovative telenovela strategy to bridge the voting gap among Latino voters.
Telenovelas, or Spanish-language soap operas, are growing in popularity. In the United States, Nielsen data shows that telenovelas have an audience of around 6 million viewers per week, which is more than double the number of people who watch soap operas.
Aiming to connect with Latino communities through relatable characters and compelling storytelling, Poder NC’s goal is to ignite a passion for civic engagement, encourage young Latinos to normalize talking about “taboo” topics like politics and abortion, and establish a cultural practice of voting.
“We want young Latinos to see voting as a right of passage, the same way young Latinas look forward to their quinceañera. There is nothing inherently apathetic about the Latino electorate. But traditional candidates and campaigns fail to reach out to us in culturally relevant ways. That breeds low levels of political agency and voter turnout,” said Irene Godinez, the founder and co-executive director of Poder NC, who created the mini-telenovela.
“Alexia the Voter” is a six-episode mini-telenovela that follows a young Latina, Alexia, as she finds her voice in her personal life, the workplace and, ultimately, as an informed voter who inspires others who are skeptical about voting. Each brief episode, packed with humor, heartfelt moments, and nods to Latino pop culture, resonates deeply with viewers on both cultural and emotional levels. We watch Alexia evolve from feeling uncertain about her voting power to embracing her role in making a difference. It’s a relatable and inspiring story that encourages everyone to find their voice and take action!
Why Latinos Don’t Vote
The reasons why many Latinos do not vote are sundry and diverse. Often, there are multiple factors:
- Poorer urban residents may not have transportation and may be unfamiliar with local politics.
- They are stymied by what they perceive as a non-user-friendly electoral system. The use of absentee ballots can be confusing and restrictive regarding the application process and who is eligible.
- In-person voting is limited to a single day and hours, corresponding to when people are working, often in jobs where they cannot take time off to vote.
Also, new Americans have historically trailed native-born Americans at the polls. Experts say the low number of naturalized citizens participating in the electoral process is not due to a lack of interest but rather barriers like language, inadequate representation in government, and outreach by both Democrats and Republicans.
“For some Latino voters, it’s not that they don’t necessarily understand English; it’s that they don’t identify with the candidates,” Valeriano Ramos, director of strategic alliances for Everyday Democracy, told Connecticut Latino News.
Polls show both parties have struggled to earn Latinos’ trust. According to a July 2024 poll by the Pew Research Center, only five in 10 Latino voters think the Democratic Party cares about people like them, compared to four in 10 Latino voters who think the same about the Republican Party.
Culture Concepts, a private research consultancy, collaborated on a study that found eligible Latino voters feel disenfranchised due to sporadic outreach by campaigns. New voters or those who haven’t cast a ballot in recent elections are not actively courted through phone calls or door-knocking.
The impact of Latino voters hinges on which major political party can effectively mobilize them to participate in elections. In North Carolina, the Latino community constitutes 11 percent of the population and 4 percent of registered voters, with a rapidly growing voting-eligible population. This demographic could have a substantial impact on the presidential election, which often comes down to the wire in this competitive battleground state.
Poder NC’s engaging initiative is part of a comprehensive outreach strategy aimed at reaching 150,000 “high opportunity” Latino voters in North Carolina — individuals who may be less likely to vote but possess the potential to significantly influence election results.
The strategy encompasses canvassing efforts, targeted mailers that reference the videos, digital advertisements and “Ballots y Belleza” — events at beauty service businesses, including hair, nail, makeup and waxing.
Ballots Y Belleza
“Ballots y Belleza is a place for you to come and gain confidence because you know what’s on your ballot, who’s on your ballot, and who you’re going to support. And you walk out with your beauty service, strut out with your beauty,” said Godinez.
Poder NC’s signature event curates a joyful civic education opportunity for newish Latino voters who have voted less than twice. “At Ballots y Belleza, our voters get pampered with a free beauty service while a Poder Ambassador walks them through their sample ballot, informing them of each office on their ballot,” according to the website. “Our goal is to ensure that community members, voters, and non-voters are confident and informed on how to use one of their most powerful tools – their voice.”
“Latinas tend to have a really good voting record once they’re aware of candidates and their positions. So, we wanted to make sure that we could pour into our community through beauty and information, civic education – so that they could gain that confidence in order to go and vote,” said Godinez.
Intersections of Our Lives, a collaboration including the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, conducted a survey to find out what women of color are prioritizing in the upcoming election. Lupe Rodríguez, executive director of NLIRJ, discussed what’s motivating Latina voters in this year’s election in an interview with Ms. magazine.
“Many in the community are somewhat motivated or very motivated to vote — 87 percent of the Latine respondents said that. Seventy-five percent of the Latine folks who responded are supportive of abortion access, and 75 percent specifically agree that it isn’t enough to make abortion just legal, but they also stated that they want to make sure that people can access abortion care,” Rodríguez said.
In 2020, due in part to Poder NC’s efforts, first-time North Carolina Latino voters made up 40 percent of the total Latino voter turnout — the biggest percent increase of first-time voters anywhere in the country.
“We’re showing the nation that young people and Latinos belong, and we can use our voices to make life better for our families and everyone,” said Godinez.
A culturally relevant approach to engaging Latino voters was first published in The Fulcrum and republished with permission.
I am the publisher of the Latino News Network and the director of solutions journalism and DEI initiatives for The Fulcrum. I am also a solutions journalism trainer with the Solutions Journalism Network.