In the early months of 2022, Masavi Perea counted the days until he could register to vote. Being able to cast a ballot was a major reason why the Mexico native applied for U.S. citizenship as soon as he became eligible.
“I feel that my vote in a way honors those in my community who cannot vote in what is a really important election here in Arizona,” he says.
Political pundits expect Latino voters like Perea to exert their growing influence in the Nov. 8 midterm election in Arizona, one of several swing states where Republican candidates continue to push against the legitimacy of President Biden’s election win in high-stake races for U.S. senator, governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. Just days before voting begins on Oct. 12, Arizona’s political environment is fraught with false narratives that voter-advocacy groups are working to counter as they rally members of the nation’s fastest-growing voting bloc.
“There has been an uptick in disinformation ever since the 2020 election,” says Araceli Villezcas of One Arizona, a coalition of 28 grassroots organizations across the state. “But we know that there is no proven claim of actual fraud in the election system. We bring it back to the facts and encourage people to exercise their right to vote, because what comes from elections is something that impacts everyone in their day-to-day life.”
Comments (0)