Salt Lake City – In honor of Constitution Day, and with just 50 days before the 2012 elections, a new voter registration drive, featuring a one-stop web portal and the wide distribution of a voter registration video, has been launched to address basic voting rights questions in Utah, including how to register and what to bring on Election Day.
A non-partisan effort, the ABU Education Fund, an affiliate of the Alliance for a Better UTAH, has partnered with Cuentame, a grassroots organization that focuses on issues affecting the Latino community, in the hopes that the video and webpage will lead to stronger voter turnout in Utah’s November elections by increasing voter registration.
[Link to English video: http://betterutah.org/abu-education-fund/voter-registration-drive-english/]
[En Español: http://betterutah.org/abu-education-fund/voter-registration-drive-en-espanol/]
“Fortunately, unlike more radical legislatures in places like Texas and Pennsylvania, Utah has a state legislature and Lt. Governor’s office that has encouraged voting by all Utah citizens,” said Josh Kanter, founder of the ABU Education Fund. “We hope that everyone will help with this voter registration campaign. The importance of voting cannot be underestimated.”
Voter registration education initiatives are particularly important given the number of restrictive voter ID laws recently passed around the country that critics claim are more likely to disenfranchise young, minority and elderly voters than deter voter fraud. The Supreme Court is likely to hear arguments relating to the controversial voter ID law passed in Texas earlier this year after a federal court ruled it unconstitutional. Utah has maintained a moderate approach to voting laws, in part due to advocacy by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those moderate laws are a good reminder that local politics still matter.
“It is important that Utahns remember that there is more at stake this November than the presidential election,” said Maryann Martindale, executive director of the ABU Education Fund. “Decisions made by municipalities and the state legislature affect us in a personal way, from neighborhood infrastructure to the quality of our schools. That means encouraging all of Utah’s eligible voters to register and to vote.”
Producing this voter registration video in English and Spanish represents the ABU Education Fund’s effort to reach out to all members of the Utah community, including the fastest growing portion of our community.
“Good government starts with citizen involvement,” said Martindale. “Whether you speak Spanish or English or any other language.”
Facts at a glance:
Voter registration portal link: http://betterutah.pnstate.org/site/PageNavigator/UT_ABUEdu_vote.html
Spanish video available here: http://betterutah.org/abu-education-fund/voter-registration-drive-en-espanol/
English video available here: http://betterutah.org/abu-education-fund/voter-registration-drive-english/
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Alliance for a Better Utah | 801.664.9751 | www.betterutah.org
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The Alliance for a Better UTAH is a year-round, multi-issue education and advocacy organization providing resources, commentary, and action on important public policy matters.