Colorado Latino Advocacy Day February 19th and 20th
January 24, 2012 - 0 comments
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocay and Research Organization (CLLARO), Colorado Progressive Coalition (CPC), and Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) are hosting the 6th annual Latino Advocay Day on February 19th and 20th. To find out more information and to register, click here.
Democracy Wins! Mi Familia Vota Applauds Judge’s Decision to Send Ballots to Inactive Voters
October 12, 2011 - 0 comments
MEDIA STATEMENT
Democracy Wins! Mi Familia Vota Applauds Judge’s Decision to Send Ballots to Inactive Voters in Denver
DENVER– Inactive Latino voters in Denver will receive their ballots this week thanks to a decision handed down in district court on Friday lifting an injunction by the Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler.
“We are thrilled with the court’s decision which ruled in favor of democracy so that 54,000 voters can now fully participate in this election,” stated MFV Colorado State Director Grace López Ramírez. “The decision in Denver has opened the door for other counties, including Pueblo and Pitkin, to mail to inactive voters.”
Mi Familia Vota and its partners have actively encouraged County Clerks to mail ballots to “inactive/fail to vote” voters. Mi Familia Vota, along with Colorado Common Cause and the Urban League, filed an amicus brief on Thursday, Oct. 5 backing Denver’s case against the Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessier, who filed a lawsuit only two days after Denver County Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson announced plans to send ballots to inactive voters for the Nov. 1 election.
The term “inactive voters” is comprised of two categories, “inactive/fail to vote” and “inactive/returned mail.” The “fail to vote” group merely did not vote in the 2010 election and have not returned postcards from the clerk asking them to call in and have them activated. They are still eligible voters.
“The Judge’s decision is a win for thousands of Latino voters in Denver – a growing population of voters who as U.S. citizens have every right to exercise their Constitutional right to vote,” added López Ramírez. “Mi Familia Vota will continue to defend Latino citizens from potential attacks on one of their most precious rights as citizens and remove any unfair barriers to the ballot box.”
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund (MFVEF) is a nonpartisan, 501c (3) organization working to unite and build power in Latino, immigrant and allied communities, to ensure social and eco\\\nomic justice through increased civic engagement. Mi Familia Vota has served on ACCESO, the Spanish Language Advisory Committee to the Denver Clerk and Recorder and Denver Elections since 2008. For more information visit www.mifamiliavota.org.
###
Mi Familia Vota Files Brief in Support of Denver’s Case Against the Secretary of State Secretary..
October 05, 2011 - 0 comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2011
Media Contact:
Colorado State Director
Grace L. Ramirez
303-877-8173
Mi Familia Vota Files Brief in Support of Denver’s Case Against the Secretary of State
Secretary Gessler’s Lawsuit Raises Concerns of Disenfranchisement
DENVER, CO– Today, Mi Familia Vota Colorado, along with Colorado Common Cause and the Urban League filed an amicus brief backing Denver’s case against the Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler, who filed a lawsuit only two days after Denver County Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson announced plans to send ballots to inactive voters for the Nov. 1 election.
“Gessler’s actions are reprehensible and a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act,” stated MFV Colorado State Director Grace López Ramírez. “The steps that Secretary Gessler has taken may prevent eligible voters in Colorado from exercising their right to civic participation simply because they haven’t voted in the last year.”
At issue are more than 54,000 ballots that would go to predominantly historically disenfranchised communities including Latino, African American and Senior Citizen households deemed “inactive/fail to vote” voters. Mi Familia Vota and its partners have actively encouraged County Clerks to mail ballots to “inactive/fail to vote” voters. The term “inactive voters” is comprised two categories, “inactive/fail to vote” and “inactive/returned mail.” The “fail to vote” group merely did not vote in the 2010 election and have not returned postcards from the clerk asking them to call in and have them activated. They are still eligible voters living in the same place.
“Denver has mailed to “inactive/fail to vote” voters in the last five elections and we’ve never had problems with the Secretary of State,” said López Ramírez. “The decision by Gessler to issue an injunction against Denver’s County Clerk results in denial of any U.S. citizen's right to vote and it disproportionately impacts people of color, the poor, and the elderly.”
The first court hearing is scheduled for Friday, October 7th at 1:00 p.m. in Denver’s district court.
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund (MFVEF) is a nonpartisan, 501c (3) organization working to unite and build power in Latino, immigrant and allied communities, to ensure social and economic justice through increased civic engagement. Mi Familia Vota has served on ACCESO, the Spanish Language Advisory Committee to the Denver Clerk and Recorder and Denver Elections since 2008.
For more information, visit www.mifamiliavota.org.
###
Mi Familia Vota Endorses Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Decision
September 20, 2011 - 0 comments
Media Contact:
Colorado State Director
Grace L. Ramirez
303-877-8173
Mi Familia Vota Endorses Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Decision to Enfranchise Inactive Voters
Thousands of Denver Latino Voters Benefit
Denver, CO – Sept. 20, 2011 – Mi Familia Vota Colorado (MFV) applauds the recent announcement by Denver County Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson to continue to plan on mailing ballots to “inactive/fail to vote” voters for the Nov. 1 election despite orders by the Colorado Secretary of State to desist immediately.
“We fully support Debra Johnson and her team’s decision to continue with their plans to enfranchise inactive voters this fall and beyond,” stated MFV Colorado State Director Grace López Ramírez. “Denver’s actions today set a precedent that helps ensure that every citizen registered to vote has equal access to the ballot box.”
Latino voters are among many traditionally disenfranchised groups that make up the majority of the inactive/fail to vote category in Colorado. Voters who skipped the 2010 election and did not respond to postcards from their county clerks asking them to activate their registrations are labeled “inactive/failed to vote.” Denver has 236,410 active voters and 55,023 voters in the “inactive/failed to vote” category.
“The decision by Johnson will directly impact thousands of Latino voters in Denver,” concluded López Ramírez.
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund (MFVEF) is a nonpartisan, 501c (3) organization working to unite and build power in Latino, immigrant and allied communities, to ensure social and economic justice through increased civic engagement. Mi Familia Vota has served on ACCESO, the Spanish Language Advisory Committee to the Denver Clerk and Recorder and Denver Elections since 2008.
For more information, visit www.mifamiliavota.org.
# # #
Colorado
July 29, 2010 - 0 comments
In Colorado, Mi Famila Vota works to unite and build power in the Latino, Immigrant, and allied communities to ensure social and economic justice through increased civic engagement.
In 2008 41% of Latino citizens in areas where MFV-CO ran civic participation campaigns voted early and 28% of voters that we engaged voted by mail.
