If you’ve seen the Time Magazine cover, you know Latinos are the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. We have the power to decide who wins the presidential election. That is why our mission at Voto Latino has never been more important. We must fulfill that prophecy.

Latinos need to represent at the polls this year. We’ve been hit the hardest by the economy, cuts to education, home foreclosures, and anti-immigrant laws. But one thing never changes: our belief that this country is the best place to live. It’s this optimism that makes our community strong, but we still have a long way to go to improve our social economic situation. This is the year to make our vote personal.

When Voto Latino began, the organization’s efforts were primarily focused on voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns. We gained nationwide attention by registering more than 100,000 new voters. As we’ve grown, we’ve expanded our mission to promote civic empowerment as a whole. Our 2010 Be Counted, Represent! Census campaign is the perfect example of our growth where we secured $150 million in federal money for our community.

When the Census results were released, it was clear our efforts paid off. An astounding 60 percent of the 50 million Latinos in America were born in the U.S. We are first-and-foremost American. But we also have a tendency to feel increasingly marginalized and alienated from mainstream America by hateful rhetoric and racial profiling laws that target our community. This is why we aim to reach not only the politically conscious, but the underrepresented and disgruntled.

We’re creating social and mobile apps that get people excited about the 2012 presidential election and empower them to vote on issues that affect them. We’re building tools for a generation we know will mobilize, stand up and take action on real policies that affect them in a real way. We know 18-34-year-old English dominant Latinos are early adopters of technology and primarily use the Internet on their phones, which is why we’re revolutionizing the voting process with mobile apps that make registering easier.

With all the voter ID challenges ahead, our app gives users up-to-date information on their polling places, what they need to bring, what their state’s ID requirements are, who’s on the ballot, and tools for voter protection. We’re engaging young voters who may not be political junkies, but care about their communities enough to want to share important information with their friends and family via Twitter, Facebook, email and text. Through blogs, videos, innovative maps, and other interactive tools, our goal this year is to bring young voters into the civic process and keep them engaged long term.

Our latest campaign is the Soundtrack to a Movement, which includes 35 free iTunes song downloads by artists like Pitbull, Los Lobos and Ana Tijoux, who joined our movement. Our goal is to motivate young voters through music that appeals to a diverse group of listeners. The artists featured on Voto Latino’s Soundtrack to a Movement donated their songs to help us empower our community and move this country forward. This free 35-song compilation is just the first of a series of Voto Latino exclusives for our supporters this year. We’ll be working on the ground in communities across the country, putting on concerts and rallies to make sure everyone is counted and has a voice. We need your help to make this election personal. We need each of us to persuade our friends and loved one to participate. We are 50 million strong. Let’s stand up. We’ll see you at the polls.