They work in the rain, in the summer heat, and the crisp cold of winter. Canvassers for Democracia U.S.A. are passionate folks who want fellow Latinos to have a voice. “I tell them, ‘Change will come. In unity there is strength,’” said long-time canvasser and East Orlando resident Maria Guerrero.
She is one of nearly 25 canvassers working in Orange and Osceola counties who helped gain record numbers in registered Hispanic voters — 234,000 in Metro Orlando with 13,000 newly registered this year. In the last eight years, the Hispanic electorate in Central Florida doubled from six to 12 percent, making them the fastest-growing voting bloc in the region, according to a recently released study analyzing the growth of the Central Florida Hispanic electorate.
“If you are Hispanic, are registered to vote, and live in Orange or Osceola, you are the most important voter in the U.S.,” said Sergio Bendixen, president of Bendixen and Associates, which commissioned the study.
His comment is based on numbers — and the unpredictability of the Hispanic vote. In other places around the country, Hispanics tend to vote Democrat but in Central Florida the group often votes for the candidate, not the party. In 2008, 44 percent of Hispanics were registered Democrats, 22 percent Republicans and 34 percent independents. “Florida is the most important swing state, with Florida’s most important swing voters being Hispanics,” Bendixen added.
Canvasser Eliades Allende says this to every potential voter she comes across — whether she meets them at their door or outside of a grocery store. “It has always been our responsibility to represent but now it is even more important because our voice is getting stronger,” she said. “It is a joy to me when I see people with bad attitudes about voting break down as we talk to them.”
This year, state Rep. Darren Soto (DOrlando) predicts Orlando Hispanic voters will support U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. “They are the quintessential swing voters in Central Florida who are more likely to choose the popular candidate than be loyal to a party,” Soto said. “This year, looking at the polls, the Obama [campaign] seems to be a few steps ahead of the game with the Hispanics in Central Florida.”
Traditionally, Hispanics have been under-registered in the region, mostly because those new to the country set their priorities in finding work and a home, and caring for their children. They also had difficulty trusting the government, according to local organizations who support the Hispanic community such as Latino Leadership and the Hispanic Health Initiative.
But that is changing as more Hispanics view America as their home, Soto said. The number of registered Hispanic voters climbed from 66,000 (of 344,000 total Hispanics) in 2000 to 234,000 (of 650,000) this year. “Getting these higher numbers of registered voters is a combination of the efforts to register and the fact that more Hispanics believe Central Florida to be their home,” Soto said.
“They maybe planned to stay here temporarily originally, but now they call this home.” The immigration issue will also bring Hispanics to the polls this year, Guerrero said. Thousands of illegal immigrants, many Hispanic, have been deported or jailed this year. “It is very important that people vote because the immigration issue is hitting people every day,” she said.
“It is not uncommon for the people I register to know someone whose home was raided or was sent away.” Democracia U.S.A. President Jorge Mursuli said there is still much work to be done. He hopes to double the number of newly registered voters this election year from 13,000 to 26,000.
“I hope we can continue our mission of bringing brighter futures to Hispanics everywhere,” he said. Canvasser Coordinator Roberto Cancel Comas said he believes his team can complete this task. “These people are tough — they talk to people who are not always the friendliest but they keep going. You have to have tough skin to do this job,” he said.
“We have most of the same people this year as we did in 2006. It is hard to find people to do this job but once we do they tend to stick around. These are very passionate people.”
