NHLA Latino Appointments Program

LATINO LEADERS IDENTIFY CREATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ELECTION INTEGRITY AS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 45 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, expresses deep concern with the recent executive order that establishes a “Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.” The creation of the Presidential Advisory Commission lacks substantive reasoning, as its foundation is rooted in the unsubstantiated and false claim of high levels of voter fraud. The purported voter fraud that Trump has alleged occurred during the November 2016 election has no basis in fact. Instead, it aims to disenfranchise Latinos and communities of color. Furthermore, the members of the newly created Presidential Advisory Commission lack diversity on multiple levels, presenting even more opportunities for discrimination and voter suppression.

The Presidential Advisory Commission threatens Latino and other marginalized communities’ fundamental civil right to vote and fails to uphold democracy in its most basic form. NHLA will continue to track developments associated with this Presidential Advisory Commission and fight against broad claims of voter fraud that are meant to suppress the vote of those who are part of the unique fabric of this nation.

“Instead of establishing integrity within our election system, this executive order strips our democracy of integrity. We must continue to denounce the false claims of voter fraud and we will keep mobilizing our community to ensure Latinos have the access they deserve at the voting booth. This Presidential Advisory Commission will not deter us from holding our elected officials accountable for their actions at the local, state and national level,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

“A Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity under the current president is as laughable as it seems on its face,” said Thomas A. Saenz, Vice Chair of NHLA and President and General Counsel of MALDEF. “A far better name for this body, particularly given those named to serve, would be the ‘Area 51 Commission,’ with all meetings held in Roswell, because voter fraud is about as frequent as verified UFOs. Appointing the president’s astrologer might actually increase the likelihood of credible findings from this commission.”

“Unnecessary. Misguided. Diversionary. Wasteful. These are the more moderate characterizations that this witch-hunt of a commission conjures up when its utility is immediately suspect. The consistent suspicion of black and brown voters as unworthy and devious is an affront to the expansion of voting rights that both of these communities worked so hard to attain. That expansion of democracy makes the country stronger. This contraction of democracy in the form of a Presidential Commission must be monitored every step of the way. We will not stand idly in this engagement because our rights are at stake,” said Juan Cartagena, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Civil Rights Committee and President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
| Michael Torra | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (202) 425-0582 |
| Brenda Arredondo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (915) 373-1483 |

ABOUT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC LEADERSHIP AGENDA

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda is composed of 45 of the leading national and regional Latino civil rights and public policy organizations and other elected officials, and prominent Latinos Americans. NHLA coalition members represent the diversity of the Latino community – Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latino Americans. NHLA’s mission calls for unity among Latinos around the country to provide the Latino community with greater visibility and a clearer, stronger influence in our country’s affairs. NHLA brings together Latino leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole. For more information, please visit: www.nationalhispanicleadership.org.

NHLA MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Alianza Americas | American G.I. Forum | ASPIRA Association | Avance Inc. | Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network | Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute | Farmworker Justice | Green Latinos | Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities | Hispanic Federation | Hispanic National Bar Association | Inter-University Program for Latino Research | Labor Council for Latin American Advancement | LatinoJustice PRLDEF | League of United Latin American Citizens | MANA, A National Latina Organization | Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund | Mi Familia Vota | National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures | National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives | National Association of Hispanic Publications | National Day Laborer Organizing Network | NALEO Educational Fund | National Association of Latino Independent Producers | National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. | National Council of La Raza | National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators | National Hispanic Council on Aging | National Hispanic Environmental Council | National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts | National Hispanic Media Coalition | National Hispanic Medical Association | National Institute for Latino Policy | National Latina/o Psychological Association | National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health | Presente.org | SER Jobs for Progress National | Southwest Voter Registration Education Project | United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | United States Hispanic Leadership Institute | United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce | U.S.- Mexico Foundation | Voto Latino