For Immediate Release

Contact: Lydia Camarillo, 1-800-404-VOTE; Alan Fiszman, 202-870-1298

Latino leaders register over 5,000 new voters in Valley

SVREP’s My Valley, My Vote campaign may reach 10,000 by October 6th Deadline

September 23, 2008 , San Antonio , Texas . Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), the country’s leading Latino voter registration organization, announced today that it has reached 68% of the targeted goal to register 7,500 Latino voters in Hidalgo and Cameron Counties in advance of the November election. SVREP conducts nonpartisan voter registration efforts with participation from local businesses, colleges and high schools, churches and communities.

"This is an historic moment for the Latino electorate," said Antonio González, SVREP President. "We anticipate that Tejanos will reach 2.5 million registrations and cast nearly 2 million votes in November, making certain that our community’s voices will make a difference in the critical upcoming elections. Latinos want to reactivate the economy, end the war in Iraq , increase access to health care, improve public education and legalize undocumented immigrants,” stated González.

“The Valley voter registration effort is key to Latinos determining their own destiny,” added Lydia Camarillo, SVREP Vice President. “We are well on our way to meeting our goal; SVREP will register 7,500 voters in the lower Rio Grande Valley . We may exceed our goal and reach as many as 10,000 new voters. Thanks to the efforts of local leaders like Alonzo Cantu we have enough financial resources to get the job done,” concluded Camarillo .

As of September 22, SVREP had registered 5,181 voters, of the 7,500 it projects to register. SVREP has registered 734 voters through the businesses, 1,170 students at high schools and 3,277 through the SVREP nonpartisan community base projects.

Community Based Projects

SVREP has formed 9 steering committees in the community and will form another 6 steering committees. These committees have registered 3,277 since July. The structure of the steering committees consists of committee leaders, paid coordinators and volunteers. The volunteers, led by paid coordinators, target places of commerce, colleges and universities, high schools, technical and vocational institutions, sports events and events where large numbers of Latinos and other potential voters gather.

The Business Campaign

SVREP has partnered with Lone Star National Bank, First National Bank, IBC, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance (DHR), and Rio Grande Pharmacy Association to train 203 employees to conduct voter registration efforts at their place of business. To date, Lone Star National Bank has registered 279 voters, First National Bank 418, DHR 20 and other 17.

YouthVote Campaign

SVREP organized nine school districts (13 high schools) during the months of April and May. During this phase, SVREP registered 1,170 high schools students. SVREP will continue to register high school students this September and October.

“Latinos are well aware that the next presidential administration and congressional leadership will shape national policies concerning immigration issues, like the ‘border wall’. These and other issues will help drive Latinos in the Texas Valley to the polls," concluded Camarillo .

SVREP is a national, nonpartisan organization committed solely to the political empowerment of Latino communities. SVREP was established in 1974 by the late Willie Velásquez to encourage civic and political participation in Latino and other underrepresented communities. Since its inception, SVREP had registered over 2.3 million Latino voters.

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