Latinos the targets of election disinformation – but activists are fighting back

The Center for Civic Design helps states simplify ballot and registration forms to make their voting processes more accessible for people with low literacy, who are more likely to struggle with the complex language of most election materials. Such reforms have led to fewer ballots being rejected, including in New York, where a redesigned absentee ballot helped the number of rejected ballots drop from 22 percent to just 4 percent.

Michigan’s Genessee County jail employs two formerly incarcerated organizers who help people detained there register to vote, cast their ballots, and access resources about pivotal election measures. They also coordinate forums with political candidates for offices ranging from the Michigan Supreme Court to the Flint City Council.

In Maine, one of only two states where people in prison retain their right to vote, the Maine State Prison branch of the NAACP engages incarcerated voters through flyers, posters, guest speakers, and group discussions about political issues. Over the past two decades, the organization has helped more than 1,000 people register to vote in Maine prisons.

After Georgia implemented an automatic voter registration system that’s integrated with driver’s license applications, the percentage of state residents registered to vote increased from 78 percent to 98 percent over four years. Election officials are also automatically updated when a voter changes residences, streamlining the process for updating voter records.

Morena New York Committee 1 offers programs and events that aim to engage members of the Mexican Diaspora living in the United States and encourage them to participate in Mexican elections. The organization recently mounted three processions in New York City to demonstrate support for the country's sitting president.

In an effort to minimize disruptions from impassioned poll watchers, one Texas county enhanced transparency by offering tours of the elections office, installing large TV screens to broadcast the tabulation process, publicly posting often-requested information online, and hosting workshops to walk residents through every step of election procedures. The county has been praised for its approach and the 2022 midterm election went off without any outbursts from voting activists.

To help eligible voters behind bars participate in elections, civic and volunteer groups visit jails such as the Vernon C. Bain Center with registration packets and absentee ballot request forms. The volunteers also answer questions about issues, candidates, and the voting process, and about 300 people in New York jails have registered to vote since January.

Organizers and community leaders in Georgia are pushing back against restrictive voting laws that disproportionately affect communities of color. The Latinx community is mobilizing against those efforts by empowering its members to “unlock their political power.” Their efforts include voter outreach, translation services, and education.

The Sequim Good Governance League (SGGL) formed in response to right-wing agitators taking over positions of power and spreading misinformation. SGGL recruited progressive and moderately conservative candidates who successfully defeated incumbents with the help of dozens of volunteers they trained. Volunteers worked around the clock, sent out emails, put up signs around the town, and used their most effective tool: having one-on-one conversations with other residents. SGGL-backed candidates now hold the majority of government offices.

Black and Latino organizers with the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) knocked on over 300,000 doors in between the general election and Senate runoffs. Canvassing in predominantly Latino neighborhoods, they also reached out to ineligible voters to encourage them to urge their U.S. born family members to vote in their family’s interests. Latino support of Democratic candidates increased in the Senate runoffs adding to narrow Democratic victories. GLAHR also helped elect the first Black sheriff of Gwinnett County, who quickly ended a program that allowed the county jail to collaborate with ICE.