Arizona's powerful bloc of new Latino voters

WHAT: Rally

WHO: Hundreds of Arizona voters, student leaders of Adios Arpaio voter registration drive, members of UNITE HERE, elected officials, and community leaders

WHERE: Recorder’s Office, 111 S. 3rd Ave (at Jefferson St.), Phoenix

WHEN: Thursday, November 15, 5:00 pm                 

WHY: Step aside, old Arizona. The new Arizona has arrived. This year’s elections in Arizona have been marred by irregularities and polling problems that have led to more than 650,000 uncounted votes statewide, an unprecedented number of provisional ballots cast, and no end in sight for the ballot count, despite Friday’s deadline. More than a week after the election, a number of key races statewide hang in the balance. 

Whatever the outcome of the election, the real winner is clear: Arizona’s new powerful bloc of Latino voters. Arizona has been ground zero for the war on the Latino community in the U.S.  In spite of the anti-immigrant attacks here, in the last year the Adios Arpaio campaign, driven largely by UNITE HERE, registered 35,000 new voters.  70% of those voters are Latino.  In the election last week, Latino voting by mail more than doubled in Arizona, from 90,000 to 220,000. Latinos are projected to be 35% of the Arizona population by 2030, and 25% of registered voters. This election marks the beginning of a new Arizona.

High-school volunteers and UNITE HERE members have been at the center of the surge in Latino electoral participation, leading the Adios Arpaio campaign and calls for political accountability.  Thursday’s action is the largest escalation to date in daily protests led by high schoolers and UNITE HERE members since the election, who have been a constant presence outside the Elections Office since Election Day. 

VISUALS: Banners, T-shirts, and signs: "UNITE HERE," "Adios Arpaio" and "We are the New Arizona," "We are voting," "We are changing Arizona," "We are watching"