Famous Puerto Rican actors They held a rally in Bethlehem Hundreds of Latinos knocked on doors in Lancaster over the weekend as Democrats aimed to mobilize voters in Pennsylvania’s predominantly Hispanic towns. missed the elections.
Latino voters in the battleground state, particularly those of Puerto Rican descent, are less likely than the general voting population in Pennsylvania to pledge unconditional allegiance to specific presidential candidates, making them “one of the few voting groups that have a chance” or to mobilize them. , or change their minds” Michael Jones-CorreaA political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania told NBC News.
More than half of Pennsylvania’s nearly 580,000 eligible Latino voters are of Puerto Rican descent. Given that the state’s last presidential election was decided by fewer than 81,000 votes, Puerto Rican voters “could be decisive” if they vote this year. Institute for Latino Politics and Policy at UCLA.
Latino voter turnout remains the lowest among all major racial and ethnic groups in the state. institute information. In the last presidential election, more than half of Latinos voted in Pennsylvania, compared to two-thirds of all voters.
It coincided with the seventh anniversary of Saturday’s rally with Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Waltz. Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Lisa Colon-ZayasThe first Latina to win an Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy for her role as Tina in “The Bear,” spoke directly to future voters in Puerto Rico by criticizing the former president. Donald Trump for withholding hurricane aid and for reducing the number of hurricane deaths. He said, “threw paper towels at us.”
“We now have more political clout than ever, and when we vote, we win,” he said.
Colon-Zayas also supported the election of Vice President Kamala Harris as the first female president.
“Now that I know something about making history, I’m here to tell you that we can make history again,” he said.
Puerto Rican “Hamilton” actor Anthony Ramos encouraged people to “not only get out and vote,” but to “vote for Kamala Harris.”
Lancaster, 200 canvassers CASA in Actionthe nonprofit civic activism group, which focuses on electing progressive candidates, partnered with former Illinois Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who is also Puerto Rican, to knock on the doors of 3,500 registered voters. Lancaster It is the fifth most Hispanic city in Pennsylvania.
Jossie Flor Sapunar, director of communications for CASA in Action, told NBC News that they are focused on reaching out to voters who “don’t have a voting date anytime soon.” “They are what we call ‘low propensity voters.'”
Sapunar described Saturday’s event as “a show of solidarity between the immigrant and Puerto Rican community.”
The Trump campaign and other Republicans Recently, Puerto Rican reggaeton star Anuel voiced his support for AAHe told a crowd in Jonestown that Puerto Ricans should “stick together” and “vote for Trump.”
Because Puerto Ricans are US citizens, they can easily register to vote in presidential elections after moving to the US mainland, unlike members of other Latino communities, who must go through lengthy immigration processes for naturalization.
Many of the researchers working at CASA in Action were immigrants who did not yet have the right to vote. While mobilizing Puerto Rican voters, Sapunar shared their immigration stories to let voters know they can be a voice for the disenfranchised.
The top policy issues of Pennsylvania Latino voters in the UnidosUS poll include jobs and the economy, the rising cost of living, immigration and abortion.
Despite their frequent turnout, Latinos in Pennsylvania voted more Democratic than Republican, Jones-Correa said. But attracting them is important for Democrats to ensure they don’t run in the upcoming elections, as many did in 2020.
“Latinos stayed home more during this election than they did in 2016 and in previous election cycles,” Jones-Correa said, adding that Harris has the most to lose if not enough Puerto Ricans turn out to vote.
Pennsylvania voters have overwhelmingly favored Democrats in six presidential elections through 2016, which Republicans have won, making Pennsylvania a battleground state. Trump won 0.7 percent in 2016, and Joe Biden won 1.2 percent in 2020.