Status Report
Democracia U.S.A. (formerly My Familia Vota) was launched in Florida in 2004 to address the civic participation needs of the rapidly growing Hispanic population of the United States and its potential impact on the American electorate. That year, Democracia U.S.A. surpassed its original registration goal by 44%, registering 72,000 new Hispanic voters through canvassing and media outreach, while building a solid reputation in the Hispanic community. Democracia U.S.A. also worked in a non-partisan manner to ensure that the newly registered voters turned out at the polls on Election Day.
In addition to its election-related work, during its inaugural year, Democracia U.S.A. focused on identifying, training, and engaging Hispanic leaders through its Leadership Academy. The program teaches skills such as public speaking and community organizing, and provides civic lessons and on-the-ground practice. Leadership Academy instructors have included an array of Hispanic elected officials and community leaders.
In 2006, Democracia U.S.A. registered over 105,000 new Hispanic voters in Arizona, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The breakdown of new voter registrations by state was: 56,003 in Florida; 25,669 in Pennsylvania; and 20,560 in New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, D-USA increased the Hispanic electorate by 27 percent and by six percent in Florida and New Jersey, respectively. That same year, D-USA launched its homegrown agency-based pilot project by which D-USA trained community based organizations on how to conduct civic engagement and voter registration activities. The pilot effort yielded 3,110 new registrations that represented a one percent increase in the number of newly registered Hispanic voters in that state.
The largest group of new voters across all four states is people between the ages of 18 and 39, making up 54% of total registrations, perhaps the most compelling statistic of the operation. Younger groups are quicker to understand the connection between voting and a better future. This is significant because the largest group of Hispanics in America is people under 40.
The 2006 operations were carried out with remarkable speed by a total of 500 on-the-ground canvassers and organizers. D-USA’s registration work in Florida was carried out in 30 weeks. The organization spent 21 weeks registering voters in Pennsylvania, 10 weeks in New Jersey, and seven weeks in Arizona.
In 2008, Democracia U.S.A. opened operations in Nevada, a state with a dramatic growth in its Hispanic population. D-USA not only will register new Hispanic voters in Nevada, but also will collaborate with local partners to provide citizenship and naturalization services. Democracia U.S.A. continues to explore possibilities for expansion into other states such as California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
There were seven states with Hispanic populations numbering one million or higher in 2004. By 2015, projections estimate that there will be 10 states with Hispanic populations of one million or more. The states where D-USA has established operations are places characterized by a significant growth in the Hispanic population, electoral under-representation, and a perceived lack of political access.
