Editorial:

Bob Filner or Nathan Fletcher for mayor; Juan Vargas or Denise Ducheny for Congress; vote Yes or No on Prop C; in all of these cases and all the other races it doesn’t matter who you vote for, the important thing is to vote on Tuesday June 5.

Empowering the Hispanic community, seeking accountability, the call for change, all of this happens at the voting booth. All that is done leading up to election day, voter registration, Hispanic support, debates on Hispanic issues, campaign contributions all is for naught if the Hispanic community stays home on election day.

A sad example of Hispanic voters staying at home on election day is with our neighbor state Arizona. Arizona has seen some of the most drastic anti-Hispanic legislation this past couple of years with anti-immigration bills and anti-ethnic studies positions. Of the 3 million registered voters in Arizona, 1.2 million of are Hispanic. Yet in the last Presidential election only about 200,000 Hispanics actually voted. If the Hispanic community in Arizona stood up and represented their community at the polls, the anti-Hispanic legislation would not have seen the light of day.

The Hispanic community is growing. In the State of California, Hispanics are the largest ethnic community, in one sense no longer a minority group. This means that Hispanics have to take on the mantel of leadership. But leadership starts at the polls. Let your voice be heard by voting this Tuesday June 5.