Activating the growing power of the Latino vote in Minnesota

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Latinos are on the cusp of becoming one of the most decisive voting blocs in the Upper Midwest. With over one million Latinos across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, our collective power has never been greater and the potential to shape the future of these states is undeniable. Our communities can and will impact the results of the upcoming elections.

In 2022, State Auditor Julie Blaha won Minnesota by fewer than 8,500 total votes — a thin margin in a state where tens of thousands of Latinos are eligible to vote. In the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden secured Wisconsin by only 20,000 votes. And this year, Iowa’s polls show races within the margin of error. As Latinos, we hold the potential to sway election outcomes. With a range of candidates and questions on the ballot, our community has some important decisions to make — decisions that will shape the future of our communities for generations to come.

The story of our electoral engagement is personal and collective. Consider Lilly, a second-generation Latina leader from St. Peter, Minn., who joined COPAL (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina, or Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action) this year to make nonpartisan calls, knock on doors and to engage Latinos in her community. She was moved to tears by a conversation with a community member who recently achieved citizenship and is proud to vote for the first time. New voters talked to her about how excited they were to engage in the process of democracy. They said they saw their vote as something that represented the voices of their whole family and as a symbol of their family’s future, a voice for those who cannot vote but are affected by the policies and decisions that elected leaders make. This is just one of many such stories we hear every cycle as our community gains the right to vote and greater electoral power.

COPAL’s #MNLatinoVote program is leading the way in turning this potential into action. Our goal is clear: to position our organization as a key resource for voter education and mobilization in the Latino community. COPAL members are engaging in bilingual phone banking, door knocking, texting and more to mobilize the vote and ensure that every eligible Latino voter knows when, where and how to vote.

This year, we have already made significant strides. Our team set an ambitious goal of making 100,000 phone calls to Latino voters across Minnesota. We recently announced that we surpassed that milestone ahead of time. We have now set a new goal of 150,000 dials by Election Day. This is our largest and most impactful program to date. It is the result of years of work, organizing and building trust within our communities. We are proud to walk hand-in-hand with Latino Minnesotans as we enter a new era of community engagement and systems change.

Since its establishment, COPAL has recognized the importance of building collective electoral power to mobilize the Latino vote based on a few fundamental ideals: to advance, along with others, the creation of an inclusive state of Minnesota and to improve the quality of life for Latino families.

In 2023, our organizing theory yielded the first results. After 20 years and in collaboration with other organizations, we successfully advocated for the privilege to drive for undocumented members of our community. This policy change, along with others enacted in the 2023-24 legislative session, will have a profound impact on both the Latino community and all immigrant communities in Minnesota. It stands as a testament to the fact that mobilizing and voting can help us achieve our mission.

Before I became one of COPAL’s founders, I initially doubted that the electoral system could serve as a tool for system change. I became a U.S. citizen in 1998 and, for several years, voted occasionally. The attention voters receive during elections followed by the disconnect afterward reinforced my skepticism. Eventually, however, after feeling powerless and unable to challenge the language used by conservative politicians describing my community, I began activating myself in electoral politics. As I started voting regularly, I realized that my vote alone was not enough to counter anti-immigrant narratives much less to provoke meaningful system change. Eventually, I connected the dots: Real change comes from collective vision and action. Voting as a bloc that aligns with our values can pave the way for systemic change and, ultimately, a better life for our community.

So, why does this election matter? This year, issues that directly affect our communities are on the ballot. Immigration reform, the economy, health care, education, jobs and more. These are realities that shape our daily lives. Our votes are our power. They are how we protect our families, our future and our community. Every vote cast by a Latino in Minnesota, Wisconsin or Iowa is a vote for a stronger, more representative democracy. It is a vote for leaders who understand our challenges and will fight for the issues we care about.

Francisco Segovia is the executive director of COPAL, an organization based in Minneapolis that advocates to improve the lives of the Latino community in Minnesota.