Mi Familia Vota
Mi Familia Vota works to increase civic engagement in Latino communities. Tracing its history back more than 20 years with challenges to ballot propositions in California, Mi Familia Vota (MFV) focuses its highly targeted and effective outreach in seven states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Texas. It has one of the nation’s largest field operations centered on Latino voters, a rapidly growing demographic that will play a greater role in shaping America’s political future.
Why This Work is Important
Latinos make up an ever-growing share of the U.S. electorate. In 2022, Latinos made up 14.3% of all eligible voters, nearly double their share in 2000. That trend is projected to continue in coming years. These Americans are significantly younger on average than the rest of the electorate.
Latinos make up a large share of eligible voters in key states and competitive congressional districts. Nearly a third of eligible voters in Texas are Latino, a quarter in Arizona, and a fifth in Florida. Latinos also make up at least 15% of eligible voters in 18 of most competitive congressional districts in the U.S.
Latinos vote at lower levels than other groups. Many Latinos aren’t registered to vote and their turnout rates lag behind other groups — limiting their voice in civic life and in key policy debates that affect their communities. Higher levels of Latino voting could have dramatic effects on electoral and legislative outcomes.
Democrats need to shore up their support with Latino voters. While a strong majority of Latinos have voted Democratic in recent elections, that share has been slipping. Trump increased his support among Latinos by 9 points between 2016 and 2020, and this rightward shift continued between 2020 and 2022 in certain states and congressional districts.
Why Donors Should Consider Mi Familia Vota
MFV has a track record of impact. In 2020, it mounted one of the largest Latino voter outreach efforts of that election. It made over 7.3 million contacts and helped register 550,000 new voters. It also made a major push to engage and influence Latinos through social media and advertising, garnering 19 million impressions on social media and spending $2.5 million on digital and Spanish language television and radio ads. Much of this work took place in important swing states like Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. MFV also invests significant resources in Texas, a state with the potential to turn Democratic in coming years if Latino voters are fully mobilized there.
MFV engages in year-round organizing. Voter mobilization is most effective when it’s the culmination of sustained engagement with people to build their trust and a sense of civic efficacy. MFV’s work reflects that thinking and the group engages in year-round outreach, including work to help immigrants navigate the citizenship process.
MFV partners closely with other organizations. MFV collaborates on its voter engagement work with a range of other groups, including leading Latino groups like Voto Latino, the Latino Victory Fund and UnidosUS, and top unions like the SEIU and AFL-CIO
MFV ties its message to key progressive priorities. Along with helping secure citizenship and voting rights, MFV promotes key Democratic priorities on climate change, reproductive rights, healthcare and education.
Conclusion
Mi Familia Vota is a proven leader in engaging one of the most important voting groups in the United States. Focusing on a handful of key states with large Latino populations and combining both c4 and c3 work — donors can choose which to support — MFV has built a powerful field program with a proven track record of engaging Latinos and turning them out to vote.