Members of a Latino civil rights organization joined with Ventura County leaders Oct. 26 to encourage eligible voters to exercise their right to vote in the Nov. 3 election.
At news conference in Oxnard, the League of United Latin American Citizens – along a group of city council members, school board members and county elected officials — acknowledged the federal government’s recent scrutiny of California voter rolls and the subsequent fear among Latino communities across the state.
“When the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., wants to paint the picture that all voters in California who are Latino are somehow corrupt and are participating in voter fraud, that is a lie,” David Cruz, LULAC’s national director of communications, told the small
audience of news outlets. The event was described as nonpartisan.
The U.S. Justice Department announced Oct. 19 that it charged 28 foreign nationals in California with various voting and registration crimes, according to USA Today. The individuals are on a list of 20,000 people the agency alleges are foreign nationals illegally registered to vote in the state.
The DOJ recently sued California, asking the court to stop the state from counting vote-by-mail ballots from likely noncitizens until it can determine their status, according to the complaint.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have criticized and fought the Trump administration's efforts. On Oct. 26, they praised the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' dismissal of the case to segregate the ballots.
“California is fighting back. And we are calling on all Californians to do the same," Newsom said in a news release.
'Every eligible voter deserves to feel safe'
In Oxnard, Michelle Ascencion, Ventura County clerk-recorder and registrar of voters, reassured the region’s 525,000 registered voters that it is safe to cast a ballot in person.
“Your right to vote does not depend on your last name, the language you speak or where your parents or grandparents are from,” she said. “If you are an eligible U.S. citizen, you have the right to participate in your local elections.”
She encouraged them to vote early at any of the country’s vote centers, which are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the week. On Nov. 3, voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Election materials are available in both English and Spanish, and most vote centers are staffed with multiple bilingual election workers, she said.
Ascencion said federal law prohibits federal law enforcement agents’ presence at voting locations and recent state law prohibits arrests within 200 feet of voting locations on Election Day.
If residents see U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at a voting center, they should call the local elections hotline at 800-500-3555, she said.
“Every eligible voter deserves to feel safe, respected and confident that their vote will count,” she said.
If they are still uneasy about voting in person, Ascencion said residents can vote by mail as long as their ballot is postmarked by Nov. 3.
Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez said she opposed the Department of Justice’s recent efforts to intimidate Latino voters.
“We, here in Ventura County and here in Oxnard, denounce any effort and any attempt from anyone at the national, state or local level who tries to even place an ounce of doubt in our community that elections aren’t safe,” she told the audience.
Lopez said she hopes local Latino voters will not allow the tactics to prevent them from exercising their right to participate in the democratic process.
“We have a system that works here in Ventura County, and we have to stand up for our community by voting,” she said.
Together, she said, the local Latino population has a powerful voice that can make a difference.
Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism. The foundation plays no role in story selection. The Star retains full editorial control.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County leaders seek to ease fear among Latino voters
