Voter drive to encourage Hispanics

Friday, March 3, 2000 | 10:11 a.m.

"Su voto es su voz."

Or in English, your voice is your vote. That is the message that a broad coalition of organizations representing Las Vegas-area Hispanics will bring to communities throughout the valley in a door-to-door voter registration drive set to begin Saturday.

On 32 weekends from now until the end of the September, volunteers with the Project 2000 Voter Registration Campaign will sign up new voters.

Many Hispanic citizens aren't registered to vote, and that has contributed to low levels of political representation in the Las Vegas Valley, said Jose Melendrez, a volunteer member of Alianza Latina and regional representative for Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Some Hispanics who immigrate to the United States come from countries where political activity can be dangerous, even fatal. Spanish speakers also are sometimes intimidated by language barriers.

The Project 2000 coalition includes groups that may disagree on political goals, he said. What brings them together is that all agree that voting is an important part of U.S. life. The coalition is seeking volunteers to give one Saturday a month to help the registration drive. Volunteer organizers will meet Saturday at 10 a.m. in the North Las Vegas City Hall parking lot to kick off the campaign.

Organizations in the campaign are: Alianza Latina, Amigos for Democracy, Boricua Association, Colombian Club, Ecuadorian Club, HABLE, Hispanic Employment Program, Hispanics in Politics, Hispanic Leadership Summit, Latin Chamber of Commerce, Mexican Patriotic Committee, National Conference for Community and Justice, Peruvian Club, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, the Reynaldo L. Martinez Institute for Leadership and Research, Salvadorian Foundation, Student Organization of Latinos, and the Southern Nevada Hispanic Democratic Caucus.