VOTO LATINO LAUNCHES TO MOBILIZE YOUNG LATINO VOTERS
Co-Founder, Actress Rosario Dawson Kicks off
Non-Partisan PSA Campaign
MTV to Debut Voto Latino PSAs This Fall

Voto Latino ™ (www.votolatino.org), a new non-partisan and non-profit organization dedicated to motivate Latino youth to participate in the nation’s political process, launches today at a press conference at MTV’s studios in New York City’s Times Square. Participating in the launch will be Rosario Dawson, Zoe Saldana, Tego Calderon, and top local, state, and national political and civic leaders.

Founded by actress Rosario Dawson and Latino youth advocate Phil Colón, the initiative seeks to boost voter turnout rates of voting-age Latino youth with the launch of an integrated awareness campaign that will include a series of public service announcements (PSAs). The PSAs will feature leading Latino celebrities such as Rosario Dawson, Fat Joe, Nina Sky, Zoe Saldana, Tego Calderón and A.B. Quintanilla among others. The bilingual spots entitled “People Make Power” will debut on MTV Networks this fall and feature the tagline “It’s your country, Represent.” The spots seek to inform under-represented, second-generation Latinos, as part of an overall effort to ensure 20 million young people vote in November. Other elements of the initiative include a comprehensive website and series of grassroots voter registration events in battleground states.

“Part of our mission is to communicate to Latino youth that participating in the political process through voting is something that impacts their lives,” stated Dawson, chair of the artist coalition committee. “It’s in our interest to get involved.”

According to Phil Colón, co-founder and interim executive director, the campaign is about “bringing Latino youth together through a shared philosophy of fair representation in our country’s political process. It means putting aside nationality differences and forging a common U.S. Latino identity and political agenda. Our goal this year is to help mobilize one million young Latinos to vote by complementing the on-the-ground efforts of Latino and other youth-focused organizations with on-air and online messaging that speaks directly to second-generation Latinos. Young Latinos will help decide this presidential election.”

The public service announcements will begin airing on MTV Networks in September with additional distribution on major English and Spanish language networks. The initiative is being supported by MTV’s “Choose or Lose: 20 Million LOUD.”

“Voto Latino is encouraging Latino youth to harness their desire to express themselves and have greater control of their futures by voting,” commented Van Toffler, President of MTV and MTV2 “Their efforts will help achieve our goal of motivating 20 million young people to vote on election day.”

"I am grateful to Voto Latino and MTV for acknowledging the importance of the Latino Youth in the electoral process,” said Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart. “I appreciate the invitation to participate in this press conference today. Our right to vote is a privilege that no one should take for granted, and one that is very dear to my heart.”

"With large populations in key states and districts, young Latino voters could very well determine who wins the most important election in a generation,” said Congressman Jose E. Serrano (D-NY). “The future of economy, our environment, our education system, and our standing in the world hangs in the balance. So get out there, register, organize, and let your voice be heard. Uds. son nuestro futuro y nuestra esperanza!"

Voto Latino is also a fully operational online community (www.votolatino.org). The website features a link that will allow visitors to actually register to vote online. The online registration tool was provided by Rock The Vote. The site will also feature directories of political leaders and organizations, chat rooms, and message boards to discuss policy and Latino-specific issues. With technology provided by Kintera, the site is also fully interactive with communication tools that will enable youth to post messages, exchange ideas and debate issues.

According to the US Census Bureau, only 6 million of 21 million voting age Latinos voted in the last elections, because many of them are youth disaffected with the political process. In addition, there are currently close to 4 million eligible Latino voters aged 18-30, many of them residing in so-called “swing-states” that could impact election results. Voto Latino’s mission is to reach this population.

Amongst key political supporters of this national initiative are the Chairmen of both political parties. “The right to vote is the most fundamental right we have and the Republican Party is committing unprecedented resources to engaging young Latinos in our nation’s political process,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. “This year we launched a ‘Latino College Tour’ where we drove from school to school registering voters at Hispanic-Serving Institutions and thousands of young Latino activists encourage their peers in the community to get active and vote through our Hispanic Team Leader program. We applaud Voto Latino’s efforts to empower one of the youngest and most vibrant parts of the U.S. population into a powerful political voice.”

"The Hispanic vote will be critical in this election. Hispanics have a significant presence in the battleground states, where presidential race is likely to be decided, said Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe. “Like all Americans, Hispanic communities across the country want good jobs, access to health care and quality education for our children, and a living wage for workers. That's the vision that Democrats offer for America.”

About Voto Latino
Voto Latino (VL) is a non-partisan, youth driven, multi-issue, national organization founded for the purpose of creating a unified voice for Latino youth and young adults on issues that impact their lives on a daily basis. In addition, VL is also a public policy and advocacy non-profit organization whose primary mission is to empower Latino youth across the United States to participate in the democratic process via informed, unbiased communication that will enable constituents to effectively promote and support social, political and economic betterment within the various Latino communities throughout the United States.

About MTV
Originally launched in 1992, "Choose or Lose" is MTV's comprehensive pro-social campaign to inform young adults about the political process, voice their most urgent political concerns, compel leading Presidential candidates to address those concerns, and mobilize massive numbers of young adults aged 18-30 to register and vote. In 2004, MTV's "Choose or Lose" on-air and off-air programming includes regular news segments, issue-based specials, candidate interviews, primary and convention coverage and grass-roots events, and will culminate with an election night wrap-up. 20 Million LOUD! is a national campaign of hundreds of organizations, including MTV, that aims to mobilize more than 20 million young adults age 18 to 30 to vote and be a deciding factor in the 2004 presidential election. Throughout the year, 20 Million LOUD! partners will conduct a series of high-profile, high-impact events on television, online and in communities across the country.

Contact:
Viveca García
Latinvox
212.633.0440 Ext 19
viveca@latinvox.com