Poder NC Taps into Culture to Inspire Latine Voting

With the current political climate in a state of low-key crisis, advocacy groups are intensifying their efforts to convey the importance of voting. A yearly estimate of 1.4 million Latinos become eligible to vote in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center, yet only 22% of those Latino first-time voters are expected to cast a ballot this year and participate in U.S. democracy. Poder NC, a values-driven North Carolina nonprofit dedicated to empowering the Latine community, has taken a creative approach in trying to close the Latine voting gap.

Poder NC launched a new initiative to boost Latine voter participation through the art of the telenovela. Designed to resonate with Latine audiences and inspire civic engagement, they’ve created a mini-telenovela that uses the power of relatable storytelling to remind eligible voters how important it is to take action with their votes.

The mini-telenovela follows Alexia, a young Latina, as she navigates her personal life, workplace challenges, and her journey to becoming an informed voter. Through humor, touching moments, and references to Latino pop culture, the episodes connect with viewers on a cultural and emotional level. Through each episode, which only lasts a couple of minutes, we see Alexia go from uncertainty to confidence about her role and power in making a difference through voting.

We reached out via email to Latina activist Irene Godínez, Founder and Co-Executive Director of Poder NC, to learn more about this creative and light-hearted approach full of Latinidad. “I want viewers to feel seen and walk away feeling reinvigorated! As the story unfolds with each scene and interaction, we can also see how Alexia becomes stronger [...],” Godínez shares.

“I want the impact [of the initiative] to be for all of us to vote of course, but to make it an activity that we do together, in community! I want folks texting their friends and family to remind them to vote; I want folks to normalize talking about "taboo" topics. We can't build in isolation, we need each other,” she explains.

The final version of the telenovela, which only has an 8-minute runtime, complete with Spanish subtitles, was released on August 1, 2024. This engaging initiative is part of a broader outreach strategy targeting 150,000 "high opportunity" Latine voters in North Carolina—people who are less likely to vote but have significant potential to impact election outcomes. The strategy includes canvassing, mailers that reference the videos, digital ads, and events with beauty service businesses.

Alexia the Voter: In Our Voting Erawww.youtube.com

While the Latine electorate isn’t apathetic or indifferent to what their vote means, Poder NC has found that traditional political campaigns and organizations don’t always engage with the Latine community in a way that’s culturally relevant and relatable to them. This can lead to a feeling of exclusion from the electoral process, which is exactly what this initiative wants to prevent.

“Our voters, like all voters, deserve for us to build outreach programs that are made from a place of love and hope. At Poder NC we build our work as if it's for our loved ones because that's the level of care we have for our community, especially those we don't know by name,” states Godínez. “People are told to ‘choose the best of the two evils,’ but at Poder NC we believe in abundance and if we can imagine more options, we can activate and organize to create the necessary conditions for us to transform our communities for the better,” she shares.

The unique approach to this initiative makes it a first-of-its-kind and that’s because it’s grounded in Latino culture. “Most Latinxs are familiar with telenovelas, whether we love them or not. In order to create impact, we have to meet people where they are. We are at a point, socially and politically, where we have to try new tactics to engage and connect with our people and encourage their civic participation,” asserts Godínez.

“If we want [Latine] involvement, we must think outside the box and use this as an opportunity to lean into our robust culture to create content and programs that resonate with our community. And as corny as it sounds, we need to be building from a place of honesty and love. We can all see ourselves reflected in Alexia, especially during this election year. The novela is an opportunity, too, to create the stories that we want to see embodied in real life!” she concludes.

Poder NC has also partnered with other Latino-led organizations across the country to expand the reach of the mini-telenovela. These partners include the Arizona Center for Empowerment, Florida Rising Together, Voces de la Frontera in Wisconsin, PICO California, and the Latina Initiative in Colorado.

By leveraging these partnerships and championing Latinidad, the initiative aims to inspire Latine voters around the nation and increase turnout. This initiative is a bold new approach to increasing Latine voter participation. In combining entertainment with civic education, the organization hopes to create a more inclusive and engaged electorate, ultimately fostering a political landscape where Latine voices are heard and valued.