Building on our first and second briefs which focused on changes in the economic landscape of South LA and shifts in voter registration and turnout, our final brief analyzes the implications of these trends on building Black and Latinx voter power. While our state is advancing voter modernization efforts like the New Motor Voter Act (AB 1461) and vote by mail expansion (SB 450), we conclude that these policy changes alone are not enough to increase turnout at the polls. Integrated voter engagement, however, remains a promising method to mobilize historically disenfranchised groups by connecting voters to political issues that impact them, while sustaining engagement beyond elections. But in elections where residents’ decision to vote or not vote is heavily motivated by the likeability of a candidate, such as the 2016 election, we still have work to do to ensure that South LA residents head to the polls to make our voices heard on the critical policies, not just candidates, that directly affect our families.
