Jolt Initiative is an organization that advocates for left-of-center policies for the Latino community within the state of Texas. It engages in voter mobilization efforts targeting younger Latinos as well as advocating for elected officials to focus on left-of-center policies focused on the Latino community.  ^{1 2}

Background

The Jolt Initiative is a Texas-based advocacy group that was founded in 2016 to increase voter participation by younger members of the Latino community. It consists of high school and college chapters that organize on-campus voter mobilization efforts. ¹

In 2018, the Jolt Initiative conducted a survey that suggested that Latinos are more likely to vote in support of left-of-center policy issues. It published the survey in a report that advocated for elected officials to use to address issues that concern Latino voters. ²

Activities

In October 2018, the Jolt Initiative co-published a report titled “We Are Texas” alongside advocacy groups Ethnifacts and US-ness. The report was created as a study of Latino “voting patterns” and factors impacting their voter participation. Based on its research, the report claimed that members of the Latino community prioritize left-of-center policy issues such as legalizing marijuana, increasing restrictions on gun ownership, government-funded student loan forgiveness, healthcare reform, raising the minimum wage, and addressing environmentalist issues. The report further advocated for left-of-center policies such as eliminating voter identification laws and increasing mail-in voting options in order to increase voter participation by the Latino community. ²

In September 2024, the Jolt Initiative filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), claiming he violated the First and Fourth Amendments when it sent the Jolt Initiative a letter requesting the identities of its voter registrar volunteers and the names of the individuals it assisted in registering to vote. It claimed that providing such information would hinder its freedom of expression and that the request is based on “conspiracy theories” while also limiting voter registration of Latinos. ³ In a news release, Attorney General Paxton claimed the request was part of his office’s goal to investigate any “credible report” of criminal activity that may compromise election integrity. ⁴

Gente First

In December 2020, the Jolt Initiative and Texas Rising announced they would be launching the Gente First campaign, which advocated for Texans to support environmentalist energy projects as well as oppose conventional energy subsidies. ⁵ The project claimed that publicly funded environmentalist energy projects can address issues faced by ethnic minorities and low-income individuals whom it claims are harmed by alleged environmental problems caused by conventional energy production. ⁶

Projects

Jolt Young Leaders Club

The Jolt Young Leaders Club (Jolt YLC) is a program consisting of student chapters that organize voter registration initiatives at universities across the state of Texas. Jolt YLC advocates for Latinos to vote to address issues facing their communities, while individual chapters train members to organize advocacy campaigns. ⁷

In February 2020, Jolt Action hosted a “candidate forum” at San Jacinto College where it invited Democrat Party presidential candidates to discuss Latino issues. No candidates attended, but representatives from U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA), President Joe Biden’s, and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) campaigns attended. Jolt Action was not reported to have invited any Republican candidates. ⁸

Poder Quince

Poder Quince is a Jolt Initiative program that provides free photo booths at quinceañeras while volunteers engage in voter registration efforts with the guests as they wait in line. It also works with the hosts of said quinceañeras to promote voter participation. ⁹

Arriba Las Mujeres

Arriba Las Mujeres is a Jolt Initiative program that provides activist training for “self-identifying Latina” women between the ages of 16 and 32. It trains participants to participate in the Jolt Initiative’s advocacy. ¹⁰

Leadership

Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez is the founder of the Jolt Initiative. In 2003, Ramirez co-founded the Workers Defense Project, a left-of-center group that represents immigrants in the workforce, and worked as its executive director until 2016. Since 2021, she has served as president of NextGen America. ¹¹

Financials

In 2022, the Jolt Initiative reported $2.6 million in total revenue. ¹² It also reported $2 million in total expenses, including $1.1 million in salaries and compensation of its employees. ¹³

1. “Jolt History.” Jolt Initiative. Accessed October 13, 2024. https://www.joltinitiative.org/jolt-history/.
2. “We Are Texas.” Jolt Initiative, October 2018. https://www.joltinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Jolt-We-Are-Texas.pdf.
3. “Jolt Initiative Files Lawsuit against AG Ken Paxton’s Baseless Investigation into Voter Registration Efforts .” Jolt Initiative, September 18, 2024. https://www.joltinitiative.org/press-release/jolt-initiative-files-lawsuit-against-ag-ken-paxtons-baseless-investigation-into-voter-registration-efforts/.
4. Barrag, James. “Texas Civic Group Wants Judge to Block Ken Paxton’s Investigation into Voter Registration Efforts.” The Texas Tribune, September 14, 2024. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/13/texas-voter-registration-investigation-paxton-lawsuit/.
5. “Leading Youth Mobilizing Organizations in Texas Call for No Bailouts for Fossil Fuel Corporations.” Jolt Initiative, December 17, 2020. https://www.joltinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JoltTX-Rising-Oil-Pledge-Press-Release.pdf.
6. “Leading Youth Mobilizing Organizations Joined by Community Leaders to Rally for Action in Aftermath of Winter Storm Devastation.” Texas Rising, November 9, 2021. https://txrising.org/latest/leading-youth-mobilizing-organizations-joined-by-community-leaders-to-rally-for-action-in-aftermath-of-winter-storm-devastation/.
7. “Young Leaders Club Student Club Start-Up Guide.” Jolt Initiative, November 2021. https://www.joltinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/StartUpGuide2021.pdf.
8. Chavez, Stella M. “Young Latinos in Texas to Candidates: Our Vote Matters.” KERA News, February 25, 2020. https://www.keranews.org/politics/2020-02-17/young-latinos-in-texas-to-candidates-our-vote-matters.
9. “Poder Quince.” Jolt Initiative. Accessed October 13, 2024. https://www.joltinitiative.org/poder-quince/.
10. “Arriba Las Mujeres.” Jolt Initiative. Accessed October 13, 2024. https://www.joltinitiative.org/arriba-las-mujeres/.
11. “Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 13, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-tzintzun-ramirez-45944a71/.
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Jolt Initiative. 2022. Part I, Line 12.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Jolt Initiative. 2022. Part I, Lines 15-18.