Connie Guerrero is president of the Women's Voting League of San Mateo Since 2021, her work has been to promote the voting participation of this sector, as well as of youth, because she affirms that it is necessary to fight for the rights of women, our daughters and granddaughters.
A woman, mother, grandmother and tireless worker for democratic rights, Connie sees voting as a way to combat the setbacks that the government sometimes carries out, such as the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion after almost 50 years, which represents an attack on women's rights over their bodies.
In light of this, Guerrero mentioned during the Bay Area Portraits program on Peninsula 360 Press that citizen participation in voting is essential for all sectors of the population, but it is even more important when it comes to voting by women and young people, since she affirms that they are the ones who make decisions on a daily basis and, in addition, "they are our future."
Coming from a large family, Connie Guerrero highlights the importance of passing on the teachings she promotes within organizations such as the Women's Voting League to her descendants, just as she does with her granddaughters and great-granddaughters, whom she teaches to fight for their rights and their dreams.
«Women make decisions every day and they are important for the future of their families and children. Besides caring for their families, women are most interested in financing their homes and, above all, being able to afford to raise their children. Young people are interested in the environment and in having access to a good education so that they can have a good job in the future,» she said.
One of her missions as president of the Women's Vote League is to promote, through forums, the different candidates, as well as their political proposals so that people can approach them and thoroughly understand the actions that each one will take when they assume or not their position. All of this, says the activist, with neutral dissemination so that voters make the best decision.
However, in the context of the Latino community, voter participation is very low, which is why she, along with different organizations such as Casa Círculo Cultural, Nuestra Casa and Democratic Clubs, work hard to get people to go out and exercise their right to vote.
The elections on November 8 are important because, although they do not have the weight of a presidential election, every vote counts, since, he says, "it is not fair that a small percentage should decide the future of an entire community on fundamental issues such as housing or transportation."
"In Redwood City County, you see that out of a population of about 80,000 residents, maybe half of them are registered to vote, but the reality is that maybe only 25 percent of voters are actually casting ballots. That's what's frustrating about Redwood City, because very few people are actually voting," he said.
In this regard, he pointed out that, in the city, his job was to increase the vote during the elections because very few people registered. "25 percent of those 80,000 people were making decisions for the rest of the city. How is that possible? It's not fair. The idea is to empower voters."
While it is true that the Latino community is prevented from voting due to their lack of citizenship, there are many who can vote but are not registered.
Organizations such as the League of Women Voters are responsible for raising awareness and encouraging participation in many ways. Those who cannot vote can volunteer to register people outside supermarkets, make phone calls informing people of their right, or simply inform voters of their options so they can make an informed decision.
On June 24, Connie says, when the Supreme Court of the United States decided to repeal the right to abortion, “it was a very hard day for all of us, very hard to believe that we are going backwards instead of improving the situation of women. It was something that we decided to protest. It was very frustrating. We went out to march through the streets to the capitol in Denver. We need to continue fighting for the rights of women and our daughters and granddaughters. No man should tell us what to do or not to do with our bodies and whether or not to decide to have an abortion.”
With more than 15 years of activism,Guerrero was awarded the San Mateo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's "Diversity Award" in 2011 and currently serves on several boards of directors for various non-profit organizations including: Casa Círculo Cultural, Redwood City Education Foundation (RCEF), Mexico Vivo, the Police Department's Youth Activities League (PAL), the Redwood City Latino Community Council (LCCRC), and the Sequoia Hospital Community Board.
Don't miss "Bay Area Portraits" with Constanza Mazzotti, where every Thursday we interview a personality who makes a difference in the community. The event is every Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
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