The Vote Is Power

For the past two Sundays, editorials on these pages have called on Los Angeles city councilors and Los Angeles County supervisors to address the poverty that plagues the northeast San Fernando Valley.

Here is a step northeast Valley residents can take to help themselves:

Register to vote.

About 250 did just that last Saturday after the Pacoima Voter Registration and Education Project launched a campaign to resister 1,000 to 1,500 new voters in time to cast a ballot in the Nov. 7 general election.

Volunteers met at the Ritchie Valens Recreation Center for training then, armed with clipboards, set out to pound Pacoima parking lots. Sponsored by the Texas-based Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, the Pacoima campaign is part of a nationwide effort to increase the clout of Latino voters.

“Clout” is not a word that comes to mind in describing the heavily Latino northeast Valley. Far too many of its residents live in crowded and substandard housing. They may not know how to call attention to such problems as building code violations or they may fear eviction or increased rent if they do.

They certainly can’t afford to donate money to political campaigns. But rich or poor, if they are eligible to vote--if they are over 18, a citizen and have no felony convictions--they have access to the currency of the ballot box.

They can vote for those who represent their interests--who enforce apartment inspections and support affordable housing--and against those who do not. And in this year’s tight presidential election, they even have the ear of both parties’ candidates.

About 7.2 million Latinos nationwide are registered to vote, according to Southwest Voter leaders. But another 4.8 million to 5.8 million are eligible and have not registered, including an estimated 1.5 million in California alone.

A similar registration campaign three years ago increased the number of Latino voters enough to send the Valley’s first Latino to the state Senate. But the project is less about electing Latinos than making sure Latino voices are heard. As volunteer Georgina Leyva told a Times reporter, “The more they vote, the more of a voice they have.”

Registering before the Oct. 9 deadline is one of the most effective ways northeast Valley residents can speak up for themselves.

To Take Action: For information or to volunteer, call Pueblo y Salud Inc. at (818) 837-2272.