Ballots, banda and RZRs: Poder Latinx promotes early voting in Phoenix caravan style

Versión en español

TOLLESON, Arizona – A caravan of off-road vehicles arrived at the early voting site at the Tolleson Civic Center — home to the public library — located at 91st Avenue and Van Buren Street. Banda music played as the vehicles pulled into the parking lot and lined up side by side.

The vehicles were decorated with flags, colorful lights and signs encouraging people to vote. The occupants wore motocross-style jerseys, jeans, cowboy hats and boots.

Along the sidewalk, campaign signs for Arizona candidates made a final appeal to voters arriving. Drivers passing by the Civic Center honked their horns in support.

Some participants stepped out of their vehicles to drop off their ballots, while others waited nearby.

The event took place on Saturday, Oct. 24 — ten days before the Nov. 3 general election. Poder Latinx, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting electoral participation within Latino communities, organized the caravan of recreational off-road vehicles. This marks the first year that Poder Latinx has coordinated "Vote Early Day," a national initiative that established this date as the National Day for Early Voting.

The caravan departed from Rancho Ochoa, in southwest Phoenix. Among the vehicles — including Can-Am and RZR models — were families who gathered to take part in this early voting effort.

Throughout the journey, each group played its own music. In the Civic Center parking lot, a single speaker played banda music for everyone, and several people began dancing.

Trading horses for engines

Poder Latinx had previously used horseback rides (cabalgatas) to promote voter participation within Arizona’s Latino community. In 2024, they organized a "Ride to the Polls" (*Cabalgata hacia las Urnas*). This time, the organization extended the invitation to off-road vehicle enthusiasts, known as "side-by-sides," who frequently go on group outings.

“It's not just you riding by yourself. It's you riding with your kids, with your wife and that's exactly what we're trying to incorporate with this messaging: bringing everybody here,” Cristian Ávila, national program director for Poder Latinx, told CALÓ News.

He explained that the intention is for voting to no longer be seen merely as an obligation, but as an activity that can also be celebrated as a family.

To organize the caravan, Poder Latinx leveraged its connections with off-road vehicle club members.

“We had a few friends that were already part of that community… either presidents or a part of a club that we were able to share some of this information,” Ávila explained.

The call to participate was spread among enthusiasts of these vehicles and through Spanish-language media outlets.

Rancho Ochoa had collaborated with Poder Latinx in the past. According to Ávila, the owner, José Ochoa, and his son, José Ochoa Jr., have supported other initiatives by the organization.

A ballot yet to be filled out

Bonifacio Aispuro took part in the caravan, but by the end of the ride, he still hadn’t filled out his ballot. He had questions regarding some of the candidates and the propositions listed on it.

"I still have my ballot with me right now," he said, pulling it from his jacket's inside pocket.

Originally from Culiacán, Sinaloa, he became a U.S. citizen about a year ago. This would be his second opportunity to vote since becoming a citizen. Aispuro shared that Poder Latinx helped him with his citizenship process and that he has stayed in contact with the organization since.

“Even though I’ve become a citizen, I continue to support them,” he said. He wanted to use the event to get his questions answered before deciding. “I want to know more about the candidates and the proposals in Arizona,” he explained.

His situation reflects one of the obstacles that Ávila identified: misinformation and “a lack of information,” he noted.

Ávila explained that some people are unaware of voting dates, registration requirements or which candidates are on the ballot. For this reason, Poder Latinx distributes nonpartisan voter guides containing information about public offices, candidates and their positions.

At the end of the interview, Aispuro still had his ballot. It could not be confirmed whether he turned it in afterward.

Voting with others

Erick Abarca did turn in his ballot during the caravan.

“I'm here to make sure my vote is heard, making sure the ballots are turned in, making sure our community here… is, you know, aware of how to turn in their ballot and making sure everybody has the right tools necessary to vote,” he explained.

Abarca said that participating alongside other drivers and families made the experience different.

“It was fun… because, you know, you feel safe. You're with your community. You're with a group, a group of people that, you know, we all wanna do the same thing: go out and vote,” he said.

Natalie Montoya also attended the event, though she did not take part in the vehicle caravan. She voted about a week earlier and arrived with her nieces and nephews, her sister, and a cousin after hearing about the event.

“To tell everyone that voting is a good thing, and to have some fun with the family—being here with my nieces and nephews,” she explained.

Montoya mentioned that she talks about politics at home with her mother, though some conversations can be difficult. She has also heard people say that voting is pointless. She thinks otherwise.

“Even though many say it’s not worth it, I believe it is,” she asserted.

For Montoya, voting is a way to express her opinion, even when changes don’t happen immediately.

“Even if I can’t change all of this quickly, my vote still counts,” she said.

Voting and everyday concerns

The caravan is one way Poder Latinx promotes electoral participation. The organization also visits Phoenix neighborhoods to talk with residents about elections and issues that affect their daily lives.

Among these is the election of two of the five members of the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state body that regulates certain public utilities, such as electricity, gas and water.

Ávila noted that, during these conversations, people have expressed concern about the economic hardships some families are facing.

“People are wanting to get engaged. People are ready. People are hurting now… in their pocket and they wanna have a voice in it,” she pointed out.

The organization hopes that activities like the caravan will also motivate more people, as they see their neighbors heading to the polls. However, Poder Latinx did not provide figures that would allow them to determine how many people who do not typically vote were mobilized by the activity. Nor was it confirmed how many ballots were submitted during the event.

Dancing in the rain

When asked whether they faced any pushback for bringing Mexican music and cultural expressions to a polling location, Ávila told CALÓ News they had not encountered any such incidents, though she acknowledged the hostile atmosphere she perceives in the country.

“There is a lot of animosity in the country right now. There is a lot of hate. And the only way to combat it is with love and joy,” she said.

In the Tolleson Civic Center parking lot, banda music was still playing when it began to rain. Some participants kept dancing, even as their clothes became soaked.

"And that's exactly, you know, what we want to focus on, rather than the negative thing that's going on — for us to be able to dance in the rain, have a little bit of fun. And at the same time, we did a great thing today!" Ávila said.

For those voting by mail in Maricopa County, Oct. 27 is the recommended date to send in their ballots. After that, it is best to drop them off in person at a polling location or official ballot drop box by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.

For more information about the elections in Arizona, visit arizona.vote.

Celia Montoya is a bilingual narrative reporter and writer who works primarily in Spanish-language media, covering migration, culture and everyday life along the U.S.-Mexico border. Her work won second place in the Podcast category at the NAHJ 2026 Ñ Awards for "El precio de los elotes," and first place in the Spanish-language Feature at the Arizona Press Club Journalism Contest.