The purpose of the Heartland Workers Center’s Get out the Vote campaign is to increase voter turnout among Latinos in South Omaha.
This involves door-to-door canvassing to register voters, educate them about the candidates and talk to them about local races they should be watching as well.
“I Vote for my Family” is this year’s campaign theme.
The HWC is targeting the Latino population and encouraging them to vote because each vote affects their families and the issues they care about the most.
Sergio Sosa, Executive Director for the HWC, says Latinos don’t vote as often as other groups.
He says one reason for this is because Latinos are often working two or three jobs and simply don’t have the time to vote. Another big issue is the language barrier.
"We are building an alliance with Douglas Election commission and pretty soon with the Papillion Election commission and we are sending people to get trained there to become political poll workers during election. If a new voter will come, he or she can speak with someone in their own language. That will help.”
Sosa says there will be at least two bilingual poll workers around Ward 4 in Douglas County.
He says they will also meet with the Sarpy County Election Commissioner to station bilingual workers in two precincts where they have a lot of Latinos coming to cast their votes.
For more information on the HWC’s Get out the Vote campaign, the website is HeartlandWorkersCenter.org.