From: National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund

With less than two weeks left for the pivotal midterm elections and in partnership with the Ya es Hora ¡Ve y Vota! (It’s Time! Go and Vote!) coalition, the Univision Communications Inc. network is declaring October 26 as the official “YA ES HORA DAY.” As part of efforts to encourage Latino voters to go to the polls on November 2nd, Univision will air on October 26 special coverage and public service announcements throughout the day about the electoral process and the importance of the upcoming elections.

  
“With ‘Ya Es Hora ¡Ve y Vota!,’ Univision and its partners strive to inform, engage and empower the Latino community to participate in the electoral process,” said César Conde, president of Univision Networks. “For more than two decades, Univision has worked diligently to help U.S. Hispanics exercise their right to vote by providing them with critical information so that they can make informed decisions – and in doing so, increase their political participation.”

  
Extensive broadcast will begin on the morning show Despierta América (Wake-Up America) and continue throughout the day with anchors, hosts and reporters from a variety of programs, including Primer Impacto (First Impact) and Noticiero Univision (Univision Network News) informing and sharing with viewers key points on the importance of voting.  Univision Radio and online and mobile coverage on www.UnivisionNoticias.com will complement this effort with reports dedicated to the election, the candidates and the issues of concern to the Latino community.

  
“The success and effectiveness of the Ya Es Hora campaign is in large part due to the extensive, in-kind promotion by our Spanish-language media partners,” said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund. “Univision’s plans for October 26 are unprecedented and a model of corporate citizenship. Latinos across the coutry have answered the Ya Es Hora call to participate, and our expectation is that they will do so again on November 2nd.”

  
Ya Es Hora get-out-the-vote efforts include calling “low-propensity (infrequent)” Latino voters across the country. Voters are receiving a live motivational, non-partisan message encouraging them to vote, and a follow-up call immediately prior to Election Day. Efforts will be conducted in partnership with over 12 local partner organizations across the country.

  
“It is crucial that all Latino voters make their voices heard on Election Day. There is no doubt that Latino voters are going to play an important role in determining the outcome in many races, and because of that they will help shape policy on the urgent issues facing our nation today,” said Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).

  
Voters can also receive information, including how to locate their polling site by visiting www.yaeshora.info or calling toll-free (888) Ve-Y-Vota (839-8682). Callers can use the hotline on Election Day to report any irregularities they may encounter at the polling booths.  

 
“By voting this November, we make a difference for years to come. We show politicians that we are paying attention and that they cannot take the Latino vote for granted,” said Ben Monterroso, Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota. “We help secure a better future for our families and our communities. For those eligible to vote in our community, not voting is not an option.”
 

#######################

About the Ya Es Hora Campaign

 
The ya es hora campaign is an historic non-partisan campaign that was launched as the Latino community’s action-oriented follow-up to the mobilizations of 2006.  It is the largest and most comprehensive effort to incorporate Latinos as full participants in the American political process.