In 2024, 65.2 million people identified as Hispanic Americans in the United States, and they continue to make up the largest racial or ethnic minority in the country.
Hispanic Americans are also the key non-white voting bloc in America and have the potential power to shape election results.
According to Nica Delgado, vice president of Kent State’s Ohio Student Association chapter, it is more important than ever for Hispanic Americans to show up to the polls.
“I feel like a lot of decisions are being made for us, about us, and it’s so important for us to really get our hands on the pulse of politics and to make sure that Latino people are staying involved in politics to the best of their abilities,” Delgado said.
Hispanic Heritage Month was initially started in 1968 by Former President Lyndon Johnson and was originally a week dedicated to the stories, cultures and accomplishments of the Hispanic community in the United States. It was later expanded in 1988 to be a month of celebration and appreciation for Hispanic Americans by Former President Ronald Reagan.
At the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, Delgado posted a video that explained to students how to register to vote.
The Ohio Student Association is not unfamiliar with providing voting registration resources, but Delgado celebrated her Hispanic American heritage by utilizing a mix of English and Spanish in the video.
“It’s part of breaking down barriers that traditionally keep people from registering to vote and keeping people engaged in politics,” Delgado said. “It doesn’t matter where you are, like the citizenship process, or where you are learning English, but it is important to make sure people are able to vote to the best of their understanding, and sometimes that includes offering voter registration resources in other languages.”
Students who are interested in registering to vote through the Ohio Student Association can visit the official website at ohiostudentassociation.org/vote.
“It’s like a two-minute process. You just put in your name and address. You can vote either in your hometown as a student, or you can vote on campus,” Delgado said.
Delgado also shared options for the student population of Kent that is not eligible to vote. She explained that if a student cannot participate in the process itself, they can always continue to share resources and promote the importance of voting to their peers.
“I know that a lot of people are kind of disillusioned, and they might be like, ‘Well, why does my vote matter? I’m just one person,’” she said. “Nothing happens when one person moves — it’s when movements move. It’s when hundreds of people, thousands of people move. It’s when the nation moves that change happens.”
Delgado encouraged people not to stop at registering themselves to vote, but rather take the time to help friends, family and additional members of the community register.
She also emphasized the importance of voting in all elections, citing that the best way to change politics is to participate in small, local elections.
Finally, she shared that instead of voting blindly for candidates who are members of a particular party, break each candidate down issue by issue and choose the one that most aligns with personal morals and beliefs.
“It’s more important — especially now — to vote for someone who cares about the same issues as you do than to vote for someone who is in the same party as you,” Delgado said. “We are not at the point in America where we can go back to being ‘vote blue or red, no matter what.’ It is who is going to do the best for your community and for the people that you love and care about.”
Hispanic Heritage Month ends October 15, but voter registration forms are always open and active.
Students can contact the Kent State Ohio Student Association with additional questions at [email protected], and if interested, can learn more about voting rights and registration during the Ohio Student Association’s weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in Oscar Richie Hall, room 250.
“As long as we continue to stand up and fight for what we believe in — which is access to healthcare, access to a beautiful environment, our unalienable rights as Americans to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — students are going to continue to be on the right side of history,” Delgado said. “The sooner politicians realize that, the better of a nation America will be.”
Ava Dunn is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].