The Next Door Champions Voter Mobilization
Over the years, Nuestra Comunidad Sana, or Our Healthy Community also called Health Promotion Services (HPS) at The Next Door (TNDI), has worked to provide culturally appropriate health services, advocacy, outreach, and education for Latino and other communities that have been historically underserved. Seasoned Community Health Workers (CHWs) of Nuestra Comunidad Sana eagerly embrace new projects, especially those that will help build a sense of community, civic engagement, and leadership. This year, HPS expanded its services by adding a non-partisan Voter Mobilization Project.
Based on local data, roughly 30% of the population in the Gorge is Hispanic, however, their voice is significantly underrepresented in voting both in local and national elections. TNDI's Voter Mobilization Project works to increase the number of registered voters and civic engagement among the Latino/x community in both Oregon and Washington in the Mid-Columbia Gorge region. This project has three goals: get more Latino people registered to vote, get people more involved in their community, and help improve Latino/x community’s feelings of belonging and integration.
As part of the project’s outreach model, TNDI's CHWs have performed focus groups and surveys as well as countless hours of community outreach, promotion via social media, radio campaigns, and more. One survey showed that 51% percent of the 269 Latinos polled feel like they belong in the local community, but only 42% feel that they’re welcome, valued, and heard.
Of the combined 50,038 registered voters in Hood River, Klickitat, and Wasco counties in 2023, only 3,341 were registered Latino/x voters and only half of the Latinos registered actually voted in the 2020 presidential election.
"If we don't vote we are left in the dark, and we are not heard by anyone,” said a Latino community member about the importance of voting.
However, while many Latinos know that voting is important, TNDI has learned that there are several barriers preventing them from participating. All voting materials, including the voter’s pamphlet and voting card, are only offered in English, creating a significant language barrier for Latino/x community members. Other barriers include lack of knowledge about where to find information about voting, and feelings that their vote doesn’t count.
Continued Voter Mobilization efforts through the election year and beyond aim to amplify the Latino/x community’s voice and promote equity in voting. TNDI’s outreach also aims to increase knowledge and awareness among Latino/x adults about how to register to vote, how to get more involved in our community, and how to find information about candidates and measures. It is also hoped that Latino/x voters will be encouraged that their vote can influence decisions in both in local and national elections.