STATEMENT by Geoconda Argüello-Kline regarding increasing voting rights and access (AB321):

ONLINE / TWEET

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Thursday, April 1, 2021

MEDIA CONTACT:

Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088  

STATEMENT by Geoconda Argüello-Kline regarding increasing voting rights and access (AB321): 

The Culinary Union supports Assembly Bill 321. Nevadans should be able to exercise their right to vote and the Culinary Union believes this bill makes voting accessible and gives voters the choice on how to cast their ballot, which especially important for the 60,000 shift workers that the Culinary Union represents who are employed in a 24-hour economy.  

Last year, the Nevada Legislature passed AB4, which permitted Nevadans to vote safely in the midst of a pandemic by automatically sending active registered voters their mail in ballot. As a result, 48.46% of Nevadan voters chose to vote by mail for the 2020 General Election.  

Similar to AB 4, AB321, allows the County Board to begin counting ballots 15 days prior to Election Day. This ensures transparency throughout the process and provides ample time for signature curing and ID verification requirements for first time voters, ensuring all votes are counted. 

It is important not to undermine the significance of Early Vote sites and Election Centers because voters still need access to in-person voting. In the 2020 General Election, a Culinary Union guest room attendant went to vote after her shift and she was the last one in line to cast her ballot.

Voting is of vital importance for our Democracy and AB321 expands voting rights and removes barriers to registered voters in participating in the electoral process. The Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB321.

ABOUT CULINARY UNION:

Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America. 

The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 145,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members and their dependents.   

The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.  

The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 45% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latinx, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples. 

Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting for working families in Nevada for 86 years. 

CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226 

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