Voto Latino (also known as the Voto Latino Action Fund) is a left-of-center voter mobilization group targeted at Latino voters and aimed at assisting Democratic candidates. Co-founded by Maria Theresa Kumar and actress Rosario Dawson, Voto Latino has registered hundreds of thousands of voters since 2004. The organization also advocates abortion through its advertising and grants. Voto Latino’s campaigns and advertisements have often featured Hispanic celebrities from film, television, and music, notably including Wilmer Valderrama and America Ferrara, both of whom are on the organization’s board. ^{1 2 3}

In 2024, the group pledged $44 million to support the campaign of then-Vice President Kamala Harris for president, and reported spending $36 million during the 2020 election cycle in support of President Joe Biden. The group focuses its voter registration and mobilization efforts on presidential swing states and states with competitive congressional elections. ⁴

Background

Voto Latino was launched in 2004 by Maria Teresa Kumar, actress Rosario Dawson, and marketer Phil Colon. Dawson announced the launch of the organization at MTV Studios during a special event attended by actor John Leguizamo and singers Nina Sky and Romeo Santos. ²

In 2006, Voto Latino launched Text2Represent, the first texting-based voter registration initiative. They supported the campaign with YouTube videos featuring Nina Sky, Pitbull, and Chingo Bling. ⁵

In 2007, Voto Latino launched the Voto Latino Action Awards to honor high-profile supporters of the organization, including Wilmer Valderrama, Norman Lear, and Jeanette Acosta. In 2008, Dawson and Valderrama appeared in “La Pasion de la Decision,” a web series produced by Voto Latino and production company Declare Yourself to encourage more Latino voting.⁵

In 2010, Voto Latino launched “Be Counted,” a campaign to encourage Latinos to complete the 2010 U.S. Census. Voto Latino claims the campaign resulted in $150 million in federal spending on Latino citizens. ⁵

The same year, Voto Latino launched “United We Win,” a get-out-the-vote campaign opposed to Arizona SB 1070, a bill which required Arizona law enforcement to ask immigrants to show proof of legal status during any police encounter. The campaign generated 10,000 voters, and involved advertisements featuring Dawson, Jessica Alba, Eva Longoria, and Common. Voto Latino also worked with MSNBC to produce “Beyond Borderlines,” a two-hour television special on immigration that was nominated for an Emmy. ⁵

In 2012, Voto Latino launched “Make It Count,” another voter mobilization campaign. The initiative’s advertisements featured Valderrama, Demi Lovato, Michael Peña, Rafael Amaya, and Rob Huffman. ⁵

In 2013, Voto Latino joined the “I’m Ready for Immigration Reform” campaign to advocate for left-of-center immigration policies. Other participants in the campaign included the AFL-CIO, APALA, the League of Young Voters, the NAACP, and Rock the Vote. ⁵

In 2014, Voto Latino worked with the MacArthur Foundation to launch the VL Innovators Challenge, a technology competition for solving problems in the Latino community. Also in 2014, Voto Latino re-launched United We Win, this time in response to the alleged increase in police shootings of racial minorities. Voto Latino also launched the “Yo Soy Health” campaign which supported sex education in school and more permissive social norms toward abortion. ⁵

From 2004 through 2014, Voto Latino claims that it registered about 325,000 voters. ⁵

In 2015, Voto Latino partnered with Pro Bono Net and the Immigration Advocates Network on Citizenshipworks, a system to assist immigrants in the process of attaining citizenship. ⁶

In 2016, Voto Latino launched VoterPal, a phone app which quickly registers voters with just a driver’s license. For the 2016 election, Voto Latino registered 177,218 voters, adding up to more than half a million since its founding in 2004. ⁵

For the 2018 midterm elections, Voto Latino registered 202,399 voters, of whom it claims 77% voted. ⁵

During the 2022 midterms, Voto Latino stated that it registered over 55,000 new voters for the 2022 midterm cycle and “turned out hundreds of thousands more” Latino voters to the polls. ⁷

Activities

2020 Election

In 2018, Voto Latino announced the launch of “Somos Mas,” which planned to spend $7 million on voter registration efforts for the 2020 election with the intention of registering 1 million new voters. ⁸ Somos Mas also ran a secondary campaign encourage Latinos to complete the 2020 census. ⁵

In October 2019, left-wing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) appeared in a video for Voto Latino after she received a birthday card from the organization signed by 10,000 supporters. ⁹

In January 2020, Voto Latino entered a $1 million partnership with clothing retailer Steve Madden to set up voter registration booths at all 81 store locations. ⁵

Voto Latino’s voter registration efforts have primarily targeted young Latino voters, especially in the wake of the protests triggered by the police-custody death of George Floyd. ⁵ In the ten days after his death, Voto Latino registered 2,750% more voters than during the ten days before his death,¹⁰ and the group said that it registered 97,000 voters in June. ¹¹

The group stated it spent a total of $36 million during the 2020 presidential election cycle and that its engagement was mostly digital due to COVID-19. The group later stated, “In 2020, Voto Latino endorsed Joe Biden in the face of an unprecedented threat to our community and our country. His exceptional term has earned our admiration and respect.” ⁴

2024 Election

Voto Latino initially supported President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign prior to Biden’s withdrawal from the race in July 2024. The group immediately endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign for the White House and pledged its entire 2024 budget of $44 million to “her cause.” ⁴

María Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino, said:

“As far right extremists seek to demonize immigrants, shatter our democracy, and curtail our rights at every turn, Vice President Kamala Harris has led the defense of our multicultural democracy. Her long-standing support for working Americans, voting rights, DACA, and for women’s rights have done so much good for our country and the Latino community — and it has never been more important.” ⁴

In 2024, the Voto Latino Foundation (the organization’s 501(c)(3) arm) rolled out a $5 million get-out-the-vote campaign called “Vota Con Ganas” (“Vote with Enthusiasm”), which enlisted Latino celebrities and influencers to encourage voting. Celebrity participants included Wilmer Valderrama, Rosario Dawson, America Ferrera, Jessica Alba, and Gina Torres. ¹²

Impact Council

In September 2020, Voto Latino launched the Impact Council to increase civic engagement among Latinos. The council had 150 members consisting of celebrities, businesspeople, and politicians, including Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, then-California Secretary of State Alex Padilla (D), and U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). ¹³

Adios Sinema

In January 2022, Voto Latino Action Fund launched “Adios Sinema,” a campaign to defeat Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) in the 2024 Democratic primaries with a six-figure ad buy. Sen. Sinema was censured by the Arizona Democratic Party after she voted against limiting the supermajority filibuster rule in the U.S. Senate. The VLAF claims Sen. Sinema’s position would “allow opponents of voting rights to abuse senate rules in order to rig elections.” ^{14 15}

Advocacy Positions

Though Voto Latino focuses on voter outreach, the organization’s website describes its left-of-center and left-wing political positions. Voto Latino supports increased government control over health care, government mandates for paid sick leave, increased gun control, left-of-center immigration, an increased minimum wage, laws to racially integrate public schools, student loan forgiveness, and easier access to abortion. ¹

Voto Latino Action Fund provides resources concerning its policy positions, including connections to resources to support Latino business owners, contact for legal counsel for immigration, and guidelines for how Latino LGTBQ individuals can come out. ¹⁶

The group has also engaged in legal challenges to election laws, including a lawsuit launched by Voto Latino and Texas State LULAC in June 2021 that challenged voting residency requirements in Texas and a 2022 challenge to a law requiring proof of citizenship to vote in Arizona. ⁷

in October 2023, Voto Latino joined local groups in North Carolina to challenge provisions of North Carolina Senate Bill 747, an election administration policy package. The lawsuit targeted the law’s “undeliverable mail” rule, which would disqualify same-day voter registrants if an address confirmation mailer is returned as undeliverable. ¹⁷

Between January 10-11, 2026, the ICE Out For Good Coalition organized a series of protests to demonstrate against U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the killing of Renée Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, MN on January 7. The demonstrations were reportedly planned in multiple cities around the country including New York City, Chicago, Lubbock, TX, and Danville, KY. Listed member organizations of the ICE Out For Good Coalition include Indivisible, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Voto Latino, and United We Dream. ¹⁸

Leadership

Since Voto Latino’s establishment, Maria Teresa Kumar has served as both president and CEO. Kumar started her career as an aide to then-U.S. Representative Vic Fazio (D-CA). ¹⁹ While working for Voto Latino, Kumar has also been a regular political commenter on MSNBC and co-hosted “Changing America,” an MSNBC web show. ²⁰ She has sat on the boards of Planned Parenthood, EMILY’s List, and the Latino Leaders Network. She is a “Prime Mover” of the Hunt Alternative Fund, a team member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, ²¹ and an Aspen Institute scholar. ^{22 23 24}

Voto Latino’s board is staffed with numerous lobbyists and policy advocates. Ingrid Duran is the co-founder and CEO of lobbying firm D&P Creative Strategies. She previously worked as the CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and ran the Washington office of NALEO. Eve Maldonado O’Toole is the leader of Holland & Knight’s Local Government Group and Principal of Evolve Strategies LLC. Brian Stansbury is a partner in King & Spalding LLP. Alfredo Vidal is the president of Vidal Group LLC. ²⁵

After suspending his Democratic presidential candidacy, former Obama administration Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro (D-TX) became a senior advisor for Voto Latino. ²⁶

Voto Latino lists numerous celebrities among its “supporters,” including Jessica Alba, Common, Fat Joe, Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Eva Longoria, George Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Lovato, Diego Luna, Edward James Olmos, Pitbull, Robert Rodriguez, and Amy Smart. ²⁵

Funding

In 2018, Voto Latino transferred $100,000 to the Voto Latino Foundation, its affiliated charitable arm. ²⁷ Also in 2018, Voto Latino gave $400,000 to NARAL Pro-Choice America, an abortion advocacy group. ²⁷

In 2023, billionaire Mackenzie Scott donated $6 million to the Voto Latino Foundation. While the grant went to the group’s charitable arm, Voto Latino founder and president Maria Teresa Kumar said the group was “profoundly grateful” to Scott and that the sum was “a significant step toward our goal of investing $50 million in the 2024 election cycle.” ²⁸

1. “Understand the Issues.” Voto Latino. Accessed September 23, 2020. https://votolatino.org/understand/.
2. Kantorski, Kathy. “Rosario Dawson Catalyzes Latino Civic Engagement.” Hispanic Executive. March 3, 2020. Accessed September 22, 2020. https://hispanicexecutive.com/rosario-dawson-voto-latino/.
3. Kantorski, Kathy. “Rosario Dawson Catalyzes Latino Civic Engagement.” Hispanic Executive. March 3, 2020. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://hispanicexecutive.com/rosario-dawson-voto-latino/
4. Bernal, Rafael. “Voto Latino pledges $44M to support Harris.” The Hill. April 3, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://thehill.com/latino/4785562-kamala-harris-2024-democratic-party-voto-latino/
5. “About.” Voto Latino. Accessed September 22, 2020. https://votolatino.org/about/.
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7. “About.” Voto Latino. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://votolatino.org/about/
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9. “Voto Latino Surprises AOC for her Birthday.” Voto Latino. October 18, 2019. Accessed September 23, 2020. https://votolatino.org/why-vote/.
10. Goodkind, Nicole. “Voto Latino has seen a 2,750% jump in voter registration since the killing of George Floyd.” Fortune. June 12, 2020. Accessed September 23, 2020. https://fortune.com/2020/06/12/voter-registration-voto-latino-george-floyd/.
11. Bastain, Rebekah. “Trailblazers: Maria Teresa Kumar, Co-founding President And CEO of Voto Latino.” Forbes. August 11, 2020. Accessed September 23, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebekahbastian/2020/08/11/trailblazers-maria-teresa-kumar-voto-latino/#33d572ea48d8.
12. Figueroa, Fernanda. “Wilmer Valderrama, Rosario Dawson, America Ferrera Star-Led Drive Aims to Engage Latino Voters.” The Press Democrat. October 5, 2020. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/entertainment/wilmer-valderrama-rosario-dawson-america-ferrera-star-led-drive-aims-to/
13. “Voto Latino Foundation Launches 2020 Impact Council with Chairs Sec. Julian Castro, Rosario Dawson, Selena Gomez, Wilmer Valderrama, Sen. Catherine Cortez Mastro, Zoe Saldana, Sec. Alex Padilla, and Maria Teresa Kumar.” Voto Latino. September 15, 2020. Accessed September 23, 2020. https://votolatino.org/media/press-releases/voto-latino-foundation-launches-2020-impact-council-with-chairs-sec-julian-castro-rosario-dawson-selena-gomez-wilmer-valderrama-sen-catherine-cortez-masto-zoe-saldana-sec-alex-padilla-and-mar/.
14. “Voto Latino Launches Adiós, Sinema! Campaign to Hold Senator Accountable.” Voto Latino. January 25, 2022. Accessed May 21, 2022. https://votolatino.org/media/press-releases/voto-latino-launches-adios-sinema-campaign-to-hold-senator-accountable/.
15. Treisman, Rachel. “Arizona Democrats have censured Kyrsten Sinema over her pro-filibuster vote.” NPR. January 20, 2022. Accessed May 21, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/22/1075088298/kyrsten-sinema-censure-arizona-democrats-filibuster-vote?t=1653126747290.
16.  “Understanding the Issues.” Voto Latino. Accessed May 21, 2022. https://votolatino.org/understand/.
17. “North Carolina’s S.B. 747 – Undeliverable Mail Provision Challenge.” Democracy Docket. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/north-carolina-s-b-747-undeliverable-mail-provision-challenge/
18. Herchenroeder, Katie. “Hundreds of Anti-ICE Protests Are Happening Across the Nation This Weekend.” Mother Jones, January 10, 2026. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/anti-ice-protests-this-weekend/
19. Alexander, Keri Lee. “Maria Teresa Kumar.” National Women’s History Museum. Accessed September 23, 2020. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/maria-teresa-kumar.
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23. “Maria Teresa Kumar.” National Women’s History Museum. Accessed May 18, 2022. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/maria-teresa-kumar.
24. “Maria Teresa Kumar.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 18, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariateresakumar/.
25. “Team.” Voto Latino. Accessed September 23, 2020. https://votolatino.org/about/team/.
26. King, Maya. “Julian Castro to join Voto Latino as senior advisor.” Politico. May 22, 2020. Accessed September 23, 2020. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/22/julian-castro-to-join-voto-latino-as-senior-advisor-274794.
27. “Voto Latino Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed September 22, 2020. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/455477218_201812_990O_2020061117187991.pdf.
28.  Bio, Demian. “Mackenzie Scott Donates $6 Million to Voto Latino, Which Focuses on Increasing Youth Turnout.” Latin Times. July 20, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.latintimes.com/mackenzie-scott-donates-6-million-voto-latino-which-focuses-increasing-youth-turnout-549663