For Immediate Release

Contact: Alvaro F. Fernandez (305.308.6079)

FLORIDA VOTE 2008 ANNOUNCES 11,348 NEW SOUTH FLORIDA REGISTERED VOTERS  

Project urges those who have not done so, to register before the Oct. 6 deadline

Urging potential voters eligible to register to do so before the October 6 deadline, the Florida Vote 2008 Project announced today that they have surpassed their goal of 10,000 and as of Sunday night had added 11,348 new voters to the rolls.

“The November 6 election will be historical and also crucial for many of the new immigrant groups from this area,” said Alvaro F. Fernandez, regional director for the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, the country’s leading Latino voter registration organization, who pulled together and directs the Florida Vote 2008 Project. “Florida Vote is not just an SVREP or Latino project, it’s a conglomeration of groups working together under the Florida Immigrant Coalition umbrella, making sure that as many new immigrants and minority community members participate in this year’s election,” emphasized Fernandez.

After the voter registration work is completed, Florida Vote 2008 is planning a massive Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign which will target every single new voter registered by the project. “The idea is to reach every new voter at least four times,” said Maria Rodriguez, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC). “We will knock on every door at least once, together with at least three phone calls to the new voters,” she added.

Negotiations are currently underway to expand the GOTV effort to other parts of the state where groups comprising the Florida Vote 2008 have a presence. They may include parts of Palm Beach County and areas along the I-4 Corridor in the middle of the state.

Groups involved with the Florida Vote 2008 project include SVREP, FLIC, Centro de Orientacion del Inmigrante (CODI), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), and Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER).