California Secretary of State Alex Padilla was honored at the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) Sabor De Las Americas Benefit Dinner on May 30, at the Los Angeles River Center. Secretary Padilla, originally from the Northeast San Fernando Valley, received the Campeón Award for promoting and enhancing the right to vote. This was only the second time SVREP bestowed an award to an elected official in its 45-year history.
“There are some states with the worst election laws,” said Lydia Camarillo, the President of SVREP. “Secretary Padilla will continue to insure that democracy is strong in California.”
“We have a 2020 presidential primary and general election and an important census in between,” said Padilla who referenced this year’s 25th anniversary of the passage of [the anti-immigrant]Prop 187.
“Remember what that felt like?” said Padilla, “People became naturalized so that they could vote so that they would stop being attacked.” A projected 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in the 2020 Presidential election.