IDAHO — A new bilingual voter resource aims to empower Idaho’s Latinx community to exercise their voting rights ahead of the May 17 primary election.
Launched last week by Conservation Voters for Idaho, contamosidaho.org holds a mass of information Latinx voters should know before turning in their ballot.
“An informed voter is a powerful and strong voter,” CV for Idaho Civic Engagement Coordinator Antonio Hernandez said. “That means a strong and powerful democracy.”
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Recent U.S. Census data shows that Idaho’s Latino community is growing, making up nearly 19% of the state’s total population.
“People who speak Spanish have been part of the Treasure Valley for a long time. They’ve not only been a part of it, but the backbone of the agricultural industry that we have here in Idaho and beyond,” Hernandez said.
The new Contamos Idaho site is live!
— CVI - Conservation Voters for Idaho (@cvidaho) May 9, 2022
“Spanish-speaking voters need basic information in order to vote - it’s one of the first barriers they encounter. We hope this makes voting more accessible for this often-overlooked community.”
-Antonio Hernandez, CVIhttps://t.co/UG0YuDDes6
Contamos Idaho is one of the few online bilingual voter resource guides in the Gem State. Hernandez said Spanish-speaking Idahoans must play a role in the state’s future.
“Our democracy is supposed to be representative, right?” he said. “These are folks who live here, and they should have a voice in how decisions are made.”
Hernandez said the website is free to use through the partnership of several local nonprofit organizations.
The May primary election is next Tuesday. More voter information is available through the state’s website and contamosidaho.org.
Related: Idaho Secretary of State office combats misinformation with education
