Rome officials discuss low voter turnout among Hispanics

ROME - The signs of a growing Hispanic population are everywhere in Floyd County except at the voting booth. <br> <br> Only 3 percent of the Hispanic population in the county is registered to vote, compared to one-third of both black and white residents. <br> <br> As of June 1, Floyd County had 155 registered voters who classify themselves as Hispanic, according to Georgia Secretary of State records. That&#39;s 3.1 percent of the 4,983 Hispanics who live in the county. <br> <br> ``We come here to this country, then we become citizens and we just ignore the election process and how it works,&#39;&#39; said Jorge Romero, a Hispanic community leader in Rome. ``Lack of information makes it hard for them to see that its important.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Romero is working to get people in the community, such as political party members or college groups, to help explain how to register and stress the importance of political movement. <br> <br> ``We have to convey the idea that it&#39;s very important for our Hispanic community to start taking a part in the political process in Floyd County,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> Statewide, the figure is even lower: Hispanics represent just 0.2 percent of registered voters. <br> <br> But Romes Marcela Romero-Langlois, director of Accuracy in Medical Interpretation and Translation and a registered translator with the U.S. Supreme Court, said the numbers are misleading. The number of Hispanics in Floyd County has more than doubled since 1990, but citizenship requires at least five years of permanent residency. <br> <br> Political refugees, those with student visas, minors and illegal residents all may be counted in the Census but are not eligible to vote. <br> <br> ``The influx of immigrants is relatively recent,&#39;&#39; Romero-Langlois said. <br> <br> Carmen Quintero-Ospina, a Hispanic health educator at the Floyd County Health Department, identifies with this problem. She has been in the country seven years and plans to apply for citizenship soon. <br> <br> She said it is important for citizens to be involved in their communities, with voting is one necessary duty. When see becomes a U.S. citizen, she plans to register as a voter. <br> <br> ``That is an action that we as a citizen of any country must do,&#39;&#39; she said. ``I do believe we need to get more involved in everything that&#39;s going on in this community.&#39;&#39;