Can Groups Register Two Million New Latino Voters For the Election?

A coalition of Latino groups says they're going to aim to register 2 million new Hispanic voters in time for the November election. I really hope this can become a reality, but given all the promises in past cycles, and the huge goal set this time, I am not yet convinced it will. One of the biggest obstacles is mobilizing people to spend months walking the streets to register new voters. It's a massive undertaking that political organizations and unions are effective at but Hispanic groups have not yet mastered.

Reuters reports:

U.S. Hispanic activists laid out plans on Friday to register 2 million new Latino voters to boost the clout of the United States' fastest-growing voter bloc in the November presidential election. Organizers representing more than 100 grass-roots Hispanic organizations from a dozen states met in Los Angeles to fine-tune a drive to get Latinos to sign up and vote in the November 4 election.

Adding to the story, the Ventura County Star reports:

An alliance of groups at Latino Congreso, led by the Southwest Voter Registration & Education Project, is using the event to launch a voter registration drive. It wants to register 1 million to 2 million new Latino voters by the November election, to bring the nationwide total to 12 million registered voters.

Antonio Gonzalez, president of the project, said the group will register voters in about 20 states and is prepared to spend $5 million. The effort will focus on swing states and areas with competitive congressional races.

According to the Latino Congreso site:

The National Latino Congreso is convened by the Hispanic Federation (HF), the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC), the National Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON), the National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC), Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), and the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI).

Visit www.latinocongreso.org