FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 28, 2022

CONTACT: Christine Bolaños, [email protected], (512) 767-2978

JOLT’S VOTER REGISTRATION PROGRAM REACHES SOUGHT-AFTER LATINO DEMOGRAPHIC

Jolt Initiative, a nonprofit that increases the civic engagement of Latinos to build a stronger democracy and ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, is proud to announce it has registered nearly 7,000 voters in the first half of 2022, aligning with or exceeding voter registration numbers for comparable 501c3 organizations with greater tenure and resources. Additionally, Jolt Initiative organizers have pledged 8,702 Texans to vote in the first half of 2022, more than doubling the total Pledge to Vote cards in 2021. The national rate of registered first-time voters is 30 percent while Jolt’s rate is 32 percent. 

This success is a testament to developing and executing a one-of-a-kind and culturally relevant voter registration program that will continue to flourish in metro areas with high concentrations of Latino residents such as Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth. The Jolt Organizing Department works with deputized and non-deputized Jolt members, college chapters, staff, Poder Quince attendees and volunteers to register predominantly Latino voters in these regions. 

“We are very intentional in bringing organizers onto our team who are invested in Texas and in our Latino communities. We understand that Latinos have the voting power to transform Texas through the sheer volume of Latinos in the Lone Star State,” said Jenn Longoria, Director of Programs at Jolt Initiative. “We know that to get the buy-in of Latinos in our democratic process, they have to feel heard, seen and cared about, so we meet them where they’re at to help make the voting process less overwhelming and ensure they understand the importance of every single vote.”

Jolt’s organizers leverage the existing relationships with high schools to schedule voter registration events throughout the year. They identify new high schools to collaborate with, establish a young leaders club and build relationships with administrators. The team identifies community colleges and universities that do not currently have Jolt chapters and schedules voter registration events throughout the year, which commonly include Move-in Day, National Voter Registration Day and Constitution Day. 

Organizers strategically fill their calendars with events that focus on the Latino communities in San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth and target Latino neighborhoods for door-to-door canvassing in those metro areas. 

Jolt’s innovative programming such as Poder Quince, a movement that builds a culture of voting rooted in the power of quinceañeras and the Latino lifestyle, has also led to civic engagement among Latino families and communities. 

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview, contact our Communications Team at [email protected] 

About Jolt Initiative:

Jolt Initiative is a nonprofit organization that increases the civic participation of Latinos to build a stronger democracy, and ensure that everyone’s voice is heard. Jolt knows that our democracy works best when everyone gets a seat at the table. That’s why Jolt builds the leadership capacity of millennial Latinos to increase their civic participation and mobilize their peers to action. To learn more, visit joltinitiative.org.