DETROIT (WXYZ) — There is a lot of debate around the Latino vote and whether it can swing the upcoming election.
In Detroit, a coalition of Latino organizations got together at the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation to talk about where the Hispanic vote stands this election season.
"I want to see more investment in our community instead of it going to violence abroad and I want that investment to go to our community back here," local voter Karen Cardinas said.
The coalition of partisan and non-partisan groups focuses on one single issue: getting Latinos to the polls. Many of the organizations are taking to the streets, knocking on doors and talking to voters face to face.
Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, a non-partisan group, says the voters feel like the issues they hold close to their hearts aren't being heard by politicians. He also says it's important for candidates to know that Latinos are not single-issue voters.
"It's not just enough to just say a few words in Spanish on the last week before the election. Engagement needs to happen. The organizations are doing it. We need, now, the candidates to respond to the issues that are of interest of our community. We found out that Latinos are interested in pocketbook issues: cost of living, inflation, jobs, affordable housing," Miranda said.
Nicole Mathew, an associate professor at Oakland University, says the Latino vote is incredibly important, as is every demographic in a close presidential race.
According to Mathew, historically, American-born Latinos tend to lean more conservative, but those who immigrated to the U.S. tend to lean more Democrat. Recently, the Latino vote as a whole has favored Democrat.
"For Harris to win in Michigan, she actually needs it to break a lot more Democrat than Republican. She can't just get the bare majority of the Latino vote because Democrats count on minority groups," Mathew said.
All of the groups in the coalition expressed the importance on maintaining their fight to motivate the Latino population to be involved in the voting process.