FTC and HF join forces to mobilize young voters and increase participation from the Latinx college community

KISSIMMEE, FL. September 30, 2020 – Florida Technical College (FTC) and Hispanic Federation (HF) announced today they are joining forces to encourage college students to amplify their voice and vote this November. This partnership will result in over 4,000 FTC students obtaining access to the information and resources they need, including voter registration tools, to take part in the election process.

With just a little over a month left until Election Day, this initiative aims to raise awareness on the significance of being counted at the voting booth while meeting a goal of 2,000 voter registrations for this election cycle.

Given the impact of COVID-19, it is critical for college students to have access to the most up-to-date and reliable information. With the Latinx community accounting for 13% of the electorate, equivalent to 32 million Hispanics, it’s especially important for them to be informed on how to make their voices heard.

In addition to educational outreach, HF is trading clipboards to move the main voter registrations to be online ahead of the remaining primaries and the general election.

“There is no doubt that face-to-face voter engagement has been the most effective method of bringing hard-to-reach groups into the election process,” said Yanidsi Vélez, HF Florida State Director. “However, to encourage social distancing, students and the community can now access our “Movimiento Hispano” platform to register to vote online, request a ballot, and know their rights—everything they need, to vote with confidence.”

FTC is not only encouraging its students, staff, and alumni to register to vote up until the October 5^th deadline but also wants them to go out and vote through early registration, in person, and voting by mail ahead of the November 3^rd election day.

“These are challenging times, which may cause hurdles to voting this year,” stated Dr. James Michael Burkett, president of FTC. “With this effort, we support and encourage the FTC community to perform their civic duty.”

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The U.S. has some of the lowest voter participation rates among developed countries. Roughly 56% of the U.S. voting-age population voted in the 2016 presidential election, according to Pew Research Center. That’s far behind the87% of voting-age Belgians who took part in their nationwide election in 2014.

 

About FTC

Founded in 1982 to provide private, post-secondary education in specialized fields, Florida Technical College is an academic unit of NUC University (NUC). NUC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000) www.msche.org. The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). FTC offers diploma, associate, and bachelor’s degree programs in a range of professions, including Healthcare, Construction Trades, Hospitality, Beauty, Information Technology, and Business. FTC campuses are located in Orlando, Kissimmee, Lakeland, DeLand, Pembroke Pines, Cutler Bay, and Tampa. Program availability varies by campus.