On Sunday, September 8th, the Young Latino Network (YLN) began canvassing for Somos Cuyahoga, a nonpartisan initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of Latine voters in Cuyahoga County. With clear skies and high energy, 15 canvassers eagerly set out to contact Latine voters, door to door in Cleveland Ward 14. In just two hours, they knocked on 295 doors and engaged in meaningful conversations with 93 registered voters and several unregistered, eligible Latine Clevelanders.
“We met two women who were unsure about registering to vote, and we were able to guide them through the process,” shared Anthony Cintron, first-time electoral canvasser and resident of Little Arabia.
The campaign aims to empower the Latine community through increased civic participation and engagement, combatting the narrative of the “invisible” Latine constituency. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as Ohioans face heightened disenfranchisement, with the strictest voter ID laws in the country and local ordinances that allow lobbyists to continue exploiting our voting communities.
In Cleveland Ward 14, many local elections have been decided by fewer than 120 votes, and both voter turnout and registration numbers have been the lowest of any ward in Cleveland. But we also know that when our communities are informed, invested in, and prioritized, we have the numbers – and power – to transform the political formation of Cuyahoga.
During an event, YLN Community Engagement Coordinator Angela Bonilla Jaramillo, spoke to an elderly couple with three adult children who have motor difficulties. Worried about how to register them to vote, they asked for help, and we visited their home to complete the registrations and share resources. The couple expressed their gratitude, saying that we made them feel like family.
To date, the Somos Cuyahoga campaign has registered 153 Latine voters, collected over 1,200 pledge to vote cards and returned 81 vote-by-mail applications. Across Ward 14 and 13, we have made close to 12,000 attempts, through door canvassing, phone banking, and community events. The campaign will run up to Election Day, with the goal of increasing the Latine general election vote by 3% (around 400 people).
For more information visit somoscuyahoga.org
