The League of Women Voters of San Jose-Santa Clara is reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community with speaking engagements on the pros and cons of the ballot issues. Socorro McCord, a member of the League of Women Voters of San Jose-Santa Clara, who is fluent in Spanish, is presenting this nonpartisan information to several neighborhood associations in Spanish-speaking areas of the city. The League speaker also goes armed with copies of the State League's Spanish election guide, Pros & Cons on the State Ballot Measures and Smart Voter bookmarks which she distributes at the engagements.

"Santa Clara County is one quarter Hispanic. The League plans to maintain the momentum Ms McCord has begun by continuing to reach out and engage all people in the democratic process," said the League President Brenda McHenry. "We also thank Cecelia Santos-Chavez for making the logistical arrangements."

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"Democracy is not a spectator sport!" exclaimed Linda R. Davis, the League's representative to the Digital Clubhouse.

Heeding this challenge, the League of Women Voters of California and Digital Clubhouse Network, based in Sunnyvale, are joining forces to connect the under-served citizens of Santa Clara County to the electoral process. Technology centers with computers and internet access, located in senior and family low-income apartment complexes managed by the Housing Authority of the county, have been established to train residents in computer skills. Not only are there many new citizens living here, but many whose first language is not English.

At Digital Clubhouse "Cousins", as they are called, League members utilize Smart Voter to help citizens register to vote, become informed and find their polling place. Bringing citizens into the digital age through the electoral process is truly Digital Democracy.

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The final story of interest to Spanish-speaking voters throughout the state is a reminder that the League's acclaimed nonpartisan Pros & Cons on the State Ballot Measures is available on Smart Voter's web page at http://www.smartvoter.org. Read them online or download them in Spanish or English.

Easyvoter.org is easily available from Smart Voter pages also.  Easyvoter contains pros and cons written in easily understood Spanish as well as English, Chinese and Vietnamese.