Latino voter engagement project aims to educate Spanish-speaking residents about voting and elections

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The County of San Luis Obispo Clerk-Recorder’s Office announced that it has partnered with Cal Poly faculty and students to develop a series of Spanish-language voter information events to be heldaround the county during September.

The goal of the Latino Voter Engagement Project is to bring election information to Spanish-speaking residents in a format and environment that is comfortable and welcoming and addresses their specific questions.

“The faculty advisors, Victoria Zamora and Marion Winrow Hart, came to us in late spring with a short timeline but a lot of enthusiasm about engaging directly with Spanish speakers on the topic of voting and elections,” said SLO County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano. “We were very excited because we’d already been working on expanding our outreach to the Latino community countywide. Among other things, this partnership means that the Elections Office can speak directly with people through in-person gatherings organized by the Cal Poly team.”

The Cal Poly students and faculty advisors have been engaged in conversations with individuals and groups throughout the Latino community since May. Their discussions uncovered a definite interest in getting more information about voting tailored specifically for Spanish speakers.

“Working alongside the Clerk-Recorder’s office, we’re excited to help engage Spanish-speaking communities who have historically faced barriers to access, particularly around language,” said Victoria Zamora, co-mentor of the Latino Voter Engagement Project. “By connecting underserved communities with bilingual staff to share crucial information about voting rights and the services provided by the Clerk-Recorder’s Office, we aim to ensure that they can access the vital resources they are entitled to. Along with my colleague, Marion Winrow Hart, we are guiding our students as they learn to lead this important community outreach effort.”

Bilingual staff from the Elections Office will be part of the team sharing information at the six planned events, with the first one kicking off Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Atascadero Library. There is no cost to attend or RSVP required, and event organizers are providing childcare for those who need it. Topics covered will include why to vote, how to vote, local government roles and impact, county resources, and what specific contests are on the ballot in November.

The full list of informational events includes: