Novedades - In the News
For immediate release: October 16, 2024
Contact: Irene Godinez at irene@podernc.org
GET OUT THE VOTE | FIRST TIME VOTERS | YOUNG VOTERS | EARLY VOTING
Party at the Polls Goes Mobile: Fostering a culture of celebration and empowerment for Black and Brown voters
CHARLOTTE — On Friday, October 25, 2024, Poder NC Action will be leading a one of a kind “GOTV Party” at three different early voting sites along the I-85 corridor, with stops in Forsyth, Cabarrus and Mecklenburg Counties. The three stops are planned for Black and brown dense early voting sites Departing from the Triangle, Poder NC Action will pack a bus with a Puerto Rican plena band, snacks and food, endorsement cards, gift bags, and even a barber to provide free services to voters! At Poder NC Action, we believe using creative, joyful, and innovative tactics is a powerful strategy to reach Latinx voters in North Carolina who may not have been inspired to head to the polls.
A recent poll from Unidos US reveals that 55% of Latinx voters polled have not been contacted by either major political party. Poder NC Action believes that electoral victories will be the result of outreach from independent political organizations. Poder seeks to maximize its reach & impact by focusing on Forsyth, Cabarrus, and Mecklenburg county in an effort to transform the election for the entire state while also building community among values-aligned Latinxs and their allies. Poder NC Action is seeking to create a vibrant atmosphere while voters confidently and securely cast their ballot with the support of a community organization like Poder.
“Research has shown that when there are parties at the polls, voter turnout increases between 2-6% and in North Carolina that could be the difference in our electoral outcomes,” remarked Irene Godínez, founder and co-Executive Director of Poder NC Action. “We are creating a new culture of civic participation that is joyful and where our communities work together to build a reflective democracy.”
Poder NC Action is working in partnership with La Brega y Fuerza Fund, a grassroots group deeply committed to fostering a strong sense of community among Puerto Ricans in the nation, with work in Pennsylvania, New York, and North Carolina. La Brega Y Fuerza is a national organization aiming to build Puerto Rican voter participation and civic engagement to expand our multiracial democracy.
Camille Rivera, founding board member of La Brega y Fuerza says, “As Latinos, when we vote, we are not just voting for ourselves. We are voting for our families, for our children, and for our future. For boricuas like me, we are voting for the countless members of our family who are still living on the island and don’t have the opportunity to vote this November. It’s important that we meet voters where they are, listening to their needs and celebrating their voices. Our approach aims to engage and empower our community, ensuring that every Latino voter feels inspired and supported to make their voice heard.”
This mobilization of Puerto Rican voters is crucial as they are currently the second largest Latino group in North Carolina. Additionally, a statewide organization, Boricuas en NC (BNC), has partnered with Poder NC Action to mobilize voters to cast their vote early and attend one of these parties. Natalia Santiago, one of the founders of BNC notes,
“As Boricuas in North Carolina, we’re thrilled to see this vibrant initiative uniting our community. This bus tour isn’t merely about voting—it’s a celebration of our culture, music, and shared experiences. It serves as a powerful reminder that our voices matter, and together, we can shape the future of our adopted home state.”
Our GOTV Bus Tour Party is a celebration of culture, empowerment, and community action. Together, we are not only making history but creating a future where every voice is heard, and every vote counts.
###
Poder NC is a values-led statewide nonprofit organization that builds people power in the growing Latinx community in North Carolina. Poder NC invests in leadership development, educates the public about issues and policies, and works to build an audacious base of leaders to secure long-term movement wins. In 2020, due in part to Poder NC’s efforts, first time North Carolina Latino voters were 40% of the total Latino voter turnout – the biggest percent increase of first-time voters anywhere in the country.
For immediate release_ September 27, 2024 – Unique Voter Outreach
For immediate release: September 27, 2024
Contact: Irene Godinez at irene@podernc.org
DYNAMIC VISUALS | FIRST TIME VOTERS | YOUNG VOTERS | SMALL BUSINESSES
Building Belonging & Confidence With Latinx Voters Through Innovative Ballots Y Belleza Event, Marrying Civic Education and Free Beauty Services
Supporting Small Businesses As A Voter Outreach Tactic Can Be The Key to Electoral Victories
CHARLOTTE — On Sunday, September 29, 2024 Poder NC Action will host its second “Ballots y Belleza” event, at The Babe Cave – Charlotte from 12pm – 5pm. Poder NC Action is reaching high opportunity Latinx voters using creative, joyful, and innovative tactics with an eye towards short-term electoral wins while building a political home for values-aligned Latinxs in North Carolina.
The event Ballots y Belleza (Beauty and the Ballot) is a unique event for Latinx voters who do not yet have a strong voting history to learn about the civic process, the positions on the ballot, create a plan to vote & get pampered by local small business beauty service providers. This is the second of these events that Poder NC Action is doing, the first was hosted in February 2024 during the North Carolina Primary Election.
Poder NC Action is working in partnership with Boricuas en North Carolina, a grassroots group deeply committed to fostering a strong sense of community among Puerto Ricans in North Carolina. “Our collaboration is about more than just voter turnout—it’s about building a movement rooted in culture, solidarity, and civic pride,” expressed Freddy Medina, one of the founders of Boricuas en North Carolina.
“We aim to uplift and educate voters through meaningful conversations and create a welcoming environment where they can feel heard, informed, and inspired to cast their ballot. By connecting our Puerto Rican community with accessible civic education and beauty services, we hope to strengthen not only their understanding of the voting process but also their confidence to use their voice for change,” Medina said.
This mobilization of Puerto Rican voters is crucial as they are currently the second largest Latino group in North Carolina. Poder and Boricuas en NC have reached out to thousands of voters through phone calls, text messages, and social media to invite them to Ballots y Belleza. A key sponsor of this mobilization effort is La Brega y Fuerza Fund, La Brega Y Fuerza is a national organization aiming to build Puerto Rican voter participation and civic engagement to expand our multiracial democracy.
A recent poll from Unidos US reveals that 55% of Latinx voters polled have not been contacted by either major political party. Poder NC Action believes that electoral victories will be the result of outreach from independent political organizations. Poder seeks to maximize its reach & impact by focusing on Mecklenburg county in an effort to transform the election for the entire state while also building community among values-aligned Latinxs and their allies. Mecklenburg county is the county with the most number of registered Latinx voters (~47k).
“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 Godínez, the founder and co-executive director of Poder NC Action. “We will prove that young people and Latinos can be the ‘closers’ in the high stakes election in North Carolina, and that when we reach out to them with creative programming, they will in turn show up at the polls.” said Godínez.
“Ballots y Belleza” is a celebration of culture, empowerment, and community action. Together, we are not only making history but creating a future where every voice is heard, and every vote counts.
###
Poder NC is a values-led statewide nonprofit organization that builds people power in the growing Latinx community in North Carolina. Poder NC invests in leadership development, educates the public about issues and policies, and works to build an audacious base of leaders to secure long-term movement wins. In 2020, due in part to Poder NC’s efforts, first time North Carolina Latino voters were 40% of the total Latino voter turnout – the biggest percent increase of first-time voters anywhere in the country.
Posted:
August 1, 2024
Official Statement: Watch: New Mini-Telenovela to Reach Hundreds of Thousands of Young Latino Voters Nationwide
“We want young Latinos to see voting as a right of passage, the same way young Latinas look forward to their quinceañera.
Watch: http://www.podernc.org/watch-novelas
The six episodes – with a total run time under 8 and ½ minutes — 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. Poder NC’s goal is to 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.
“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. The videos are genuinely funny, sometimes moving, and have plenty of Easter Eggs for fans of Latino pop culture,” said Godinez.
Members of Latino Greek organizations across the nation will share the videos with undergraduate fraternity and sorority chapters on hundreds of campuses. There is a discussion guide for watch parties and a social media toolkit for nonpartisan campus engagement.
In addition to Poder NC and 45 Latinx Greek Fraternities and Sororities, other organizations are sharing the telenovela, including national partners: When We All Vote and All* Above All; and state partners: Arizona Center for Empowerment, Florida Rising Together, Voces de la Frontera in Wisconsin, PICO California, and The Latina Initiative in Colorado.
In North Carolina, the videos are part of an outreach strategy to the state’s 150,000 high opportunity Latino voters (what the industry calls low propensity voters) with canvassing, mailers that call back to the videos, digital ads, and “Ballots y Belleza,” events at beauty service businesses, including hair, nail, makeup, and waxing.
Poder NC is spending $70,000 in digital, search engine, and TV streaming service ads, including Hulu.
In 2020, due in part to Poder NC’s efforts, first time North Carolina Latino voters were 40% of the total Latino voter turnout – the biggest percent increase of first-time voters anywhere in the country.