Milwaukee Latino vote; group works to boost election turnout

MILWAUKEE - The Latino population is growing, including in the swing states that will decide the presidential election.

For Eloísa Gómez of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County, getting the vote out in the south side of Milwaukee is her main priority this election season.

"We are out there giving the information as much as possible," Gómez said. "People just need to get access to that information and they are more likely to vote as a result."

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The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County is working to provide voting information in English and Spanish.

"Our goal is really to promote information that people the voters themselves decide on if they believe is most important in terms of when they vote," Gómez said.

Researchers say those efforts can make a big difference, especially in Wisconsin's Latino communities.

"Of those eligible to vote, only about half are registered to vote in Wisconsin," said John Johnson, a research fellow in the Marquette Law School's Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. "In the 2022 election, maybe 35% did in fact actually vote."

There are several theories about why.

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"So that could be a lack of familiarity with how elections work here. Perhaps a lack of interest," Johnson said. "The first thing that you need to do before you can vote is to get registered. If you're not registered, that can be quite a barrier."

That is why the League of Women Voters said they will keep pushing through the November election and beyond.

"It takes work to keep a democracy alive," Gómez said.