AFL-CIO Launches Campaign to Help Protect U.S. Hispanics Against Voting Rights

Nonpartisan coalition efforts to feature voter education radio commercials with Edward James Olmos

by Cassandra Andrade of Balsera Communications for AFL-CIO

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The AFL-CIO today announced the launch of a special voting rights protection program in six states --
Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia -- aimed at
educating U.S. Hispanics about their voting rights and helping to prevent
voting rights violations on Election Day. The effort comes as a part of the
AFL-CIO's "My Vote, My Right" program, wherein members of local union and
labor groups across the country are working in coalition with civil rights
organizations, faith groups, local lawyers, and other community allies to
protect voting rights.

"It's time to turn around America, and we will start by protecting our
right to vote and making sure that every single vote is counted," said AFL-CIO
Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker. "Many Hispanics will be first time
voters in this election, making them especially vulnerable to voter
intimidation and misinformation, which is why we are making a special effort
to reach out and educate them."

The AFL-CIO's public education effort aimed at Hispanics is comprised of
five main components:
-- A Spanish-language radio advertising campaign featuring actor Edward
James Olmos that details voter protection issues and how to avoid being
disenfranchised
-- Spanish-language "Voter Bill of Rights" fliers describing state and
federal voting rights laws, which by Election Day will be distributed
to more than 10,000 voters in Nevada
-- Spanish-language voting rights cards, which by Election Day will be
distributed to more than 10,000 voters in New Mexico
-- An op-ed written by former AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda
Chavez Thompson outlining voters' rights
-- Grassroots educational outreach to voters

The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), an affiliate of
the AFL-CIO and Change to Win, is also actively reaching out to Hispanics
voters through their "Tu voz es mi voz" campaign (Your voice is my voice).
Elements of the campaign include:
-- Canvassing door to door in Grand Rapids; Lansing/East Lansing; Pontiac
and Southeast Detroit, Michigan and Northern Virginia with sample
ballots for Latino voters and voter education information
-- Disseminating Spanish-language voter protection information in
Philadelphia, Reading and Allentown, Pennsylvania
-- A radio program in Philadelphia, PA with voter education information
-- Stationing bi-lingual election voter protection monitors at the polls
in Prince William County, Virginia where an anti-immigrant statute was
passed earlier this year
-- Town hall meetings along with a voter registration, voter education and
voter protection drive in Central Florida.
-- The sending of letters to the supervisors of elections in seven Central
Florida counties requesting a plan of action to increase, maintain,
support and protect the participation of Latinos.

In several states, the AFL-CIO voter protection program is also recruiting
and training volunteers to serve as nonpartisan poll workers and poll monitors
on Election Day, helping to address voting problems including long lines,
misuse of provisional ballots, and demands for voter IDs which are not
mandated by law. The volunteers will be thoroughly trained on federal, state
and local election laws. On Election Day, poll monitors will be deployed
outside of polling places where they will be available to answer voters'
questions about their rights and help resolve any problems voters may
encounter.

The AFL-CIO is the umbrella organization for America's unions and
represents 10.5 million working people nationwide.

SOURCE AFL-CIO, 10/23/2008
CONTACT: Cassandra Andrade of Balsera Communications for AFL-CIO,
+1-305-441-1272