Communities
Latino groups launch a push in South Texas as registration closes and polling places shrink in Fort Worth
Voto Latino and the Hispanic Federation are spending six figures in the Rio Grande Valley, while Tarrant County leaders urge Latino residents to vote despite cuts to 92 polling sites.
Monday was the last day to register to vote in Texas, and Latino community groups spent it urging neighbors to make a plan for Nov. 3. From the Rio Grande Valley to Fort Worth, organizers say the stakes, and the obstacles, are rising.
Six figures for the Valley
Two of the country's largest Latino advocacy organizations, the Voto Latino Foundation and the Hispanic Federation, are launching a six-figure get-out-the-vote operation aimed at Texas' Rio Grande Valley, according to plans first shared with NBC News. The groups estimate that nearly 316,000 Latinos in the region who could have voted did not cast ballots in 2024.
On Saturday, they will hold a community town hall in Edinburg called "Juntos en el 956," named for the Valley's area code, to help residents plan how to vote, moderated by South Texas social media personality Claudia Lopez. A televised town hall with Telemundo and an end-of-month rally are planned.
Polls and interviews show Latino voters frustrated with the cost of living and with immigration enforcement operations. Organizers' top message is simple: vote early.
Fewer polling places in Tarrant County
In Fort Worth, dozens of residents, advocates and candidates gathered Monday at Marine Park, joined by Fort Worth City Council member Carlos Flores, LULAC National President Roman Palomares and state Reps. Nicole Collier and Ana-Maria Ramos. Ramos urged everyone to double-check their registration and vote early.
UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguia criticized the recent approval to cut 92 voting locations in Tarrant County, a move that also drew objections from Democratic county commissioners. She said the change would make voting harder for people who now have to find a new location, but that no eligible voter should stay home out of confusion or fear.
A big and fluid electorate
Nearly 39 million Hispanic Americans are eligible to vote this year, and Hispanics have added 5.25 million eligible voters since 2022, more than any other group, according to Pew Research Center. Their loyalties are increasingly up for grabs: the Latino electorate has shifted in both directions in recent cycles, and many voters say they remain undecided.
To help, Mi Familia en Acción recently launched Nubi, a free bilingual AI app that answers questions in English or Spanish about registration, early voting, mail ballots and voters' rights in all 50 states.
Key dates
In Texas, early voting runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30, and Election Day is Nov. 3. Voters can confirm their registration and find their polling place through their county elections office or the Texas secretary of state's website.