The emerging Latino vote in Arizona is the focus of the Arizona Latino Research Enterprise and Raul H. Castro Institute's annual Town Hall gathering at Phoenix College.
Panels of experts and speakers at the Town Hall will examine the increasing influence of Latino voters at a national, state and local level, as well as the growing contributions of Latino youth -- as voters and community organizers.
That was also the theme of "Brown Wave," a New Times feature about young Latinos, including undocumented students, mobilizing west Phoenix voters and helping increase voter turnout by nearly five times.
But it wasn't just in Phoenix, helping turn the tide in two city council seats and the mayor's race. Election experts say Latino voters played a pivotal role in the recall of former State Senate President Russell Pearce.
The daylong event begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and the first panel starts at 9:30 a.m. The event is scheduled to end at 4 p.m. and will be followed by a "Young Voters Celebration" from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the lawn of the Bulpitt Auditorium in Pastor Plaza.
Among the panels to be presented:
- Getting Out the Vote - Triumphs and Challenges
- The State of the Latino Electorate
- Counting Latino Votes
- A newsmaker luncheon interview