With the 2024 U.S. presidential election – and several other impactful federal, state, and local races — looming on the horizon in November, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana (HCCL) has organized and implemented several initiatives to shepherd citizens through the voter registration process and encourage voter participation.
Partnering with the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the HCCL launched in 2023 a widespread multimedia, bilingual, educational Core Voter Engagement Campaign targeted specifically to encourage legal immigrants and their first-generation American children within the parish to register and participate in the election process.
The visuals and messaging of this integrated, cross-platform campaign, which will continue through November 2024, were created by local marketing agency BRAVA – the first and only Hispanic- and female-owned firm in Louisiana.
“I’ve worked with some of the top advertising agencies in the state, and this (voter engagement) plan was probably the fastest campaign I ever had to put together, which I think speaks to the urgency and importance of the issue,” says Carolina Munguia, founder and president of BRAVA. In four weeks, we put together bilingual materials in English, Spanish and ‘Spanglish’ to make sure all of our targets could be reached.
“We’re talking about immigrants who have worked hard to rebuild Louisiana (after Hurricane Katrina), who then started multiple businesses, and stayed to educate their children,” Munguia continues. “These are people who followed all the rules and did the right things, yet they don’t have the resources – such as assistance in overcoming the language barrier – to exercise their right to vote.”
While Hispanic voter engagement has always been a core pillar of the HCCL’s mission, this specific campaign kicked off roughly a year ago. In September 2023, the HCCL also took part in “Black & Brown Voter Registration Day” – a targeted, collective effort staged in seven cities across Louisiana by the Urban League of Louisiana. Since then, HCCL has continued to spread the message in popular Hispanic community centers, places of worship, and in print, radio, TV, and social media – including a voter registration video produced by HCCL Board of Directors member Jenny Mains of CRC Global Solutions.
“For me, so much of this has been personal,” Mains says. “Voting is a right that so many in our community don’t exercise, don’t know they can exercise, or simply don’t know the procedures required for them to let their voice be heard. The best way to enact positive change is through voting, which is why it’s critical to convey that message to our communities.”
In 2020, Hispanic voters became the second largest voting bloc in a U.S. presidential election for the first time in history. In Louisiana, though, less than 50 percent of Hispanic residents of age are registered to vote, according to the Pew Research Center.
“Your vote is your voice,” Mains says. “The more we vote, the more politicians will cater to the needs and issues of our community.”
