SVREP President’s Report #2 (2008): SVREP Preliminary Registration Report for 2008

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Introduction

In my July 2 report, I recounted primary trends among Latino voters and early results of our efforts. Now SVREP is busy doing the basic work of nonpartisan registration in preparation for nonpartisan get-out-the vote work. This includes fundraising, training, coalition organizing, community selection, materials development, data analysis, canvassing, site registration, and so on.

Youth Vote Project

Since late 2006, SVREP has developed a special approach to youth with its “Youth Vote” Campaign. By the beginning of the summer, SVREP coordinators and volunteers in California , Washington , Arizona , New Mexico , Florida , and Texas had registered 22,277 students across more than 200 colleges and high schools.

M10-12 Campaign

Since summer, SVREP has implemented its church and community-based program called “Movimiento 10-12” in some 50 communities across California , Colorado , Arizona , New Mexico , Texas , and Florida registering nearly 30,000 new voters.

More than a dozen intensive 1-2 day training events were held in Los Angeles , the Inland Empire , McAllen , Miami , Dallas , Phoenix , Southern Colorado , Albuquerque and El Paso during August and early September.

To date, highlights of the M10-12 campaign including registering over 13,000 new voters in Miami-Dade , Florida , and nearly 10,000 new voters in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas .

In the City of Los Angeles , Youth Vote and M10-12 activities have combined to reach nearly 10,000 new voters.

In total, SVREP has already registered over 51,734 voters in activities based on neighborhoods, high schools, college campuses, and churches through September 30 representing an investment of over $500,000.

We expect to register another 20,000 voters in 55 selected communities in California , Texas , New Mexico , Arizona , Florida , Colorado , and North Carolina by the deadlines (which vary from state to state). A list of SVREP’s active communities is attached.

As we approach the deadlines in a number of our states, SVREP currently has nearly 200 full time coordinators in the field working with some 2,000 volunteers.

Fundraising efforts, always hard, are going slowly as the bad economy has caused donors to cut back. Therefore, we have cut goals in half, though we expect to generate another $250,000 for voter registration.

On the other get out the vote fundraising prospects appears to be robust. For GOTV SVREP expects to raise and spend about $1.5 million to turn out 150,000 new voters in key localities across our states.

Conclusion

SVREP is in full stride as you read this report. Intelligence from the field tells us that Latino mobilization, especially in competitive districts and states is picking up steam. While all attention is focused on the unprecedented characteristics of the Presidential elections, it is important to understand that Latino empowerment will advance no matter who wins. That is because of important elections down-ballot in each of our states. A dramatic increase in Latino voting is likely to influence elections in battleground Presidential states, and swing Congressional districts, Senate races, the Texas Legislature, the Arizona Legislature and so on, as well as major ballot initiatives. In my next report I will discuss these trends more fully, as well unveil SVREP’s nonpartisan turnout plans.