Meet Julio, another one of PTP’s dedicated field representatives tasked with talking to sporadic voters each day in order to help turn out the vote this November!
Q: Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois. I then went off to Colgate University, where I studied Environmental Geography and minored in Peace and Conflict Studies. In my free time I like to play Ultimate Frisbee, which I play every week with a group of friends from high school. I also recently took up disc golf.
Q: When did you first become interested in politics?
My first semester at Colgate I decided to run for student senate, and in doing so I began talking to all these people and hearing them out. Even though I was in a new environment and didn’t know anyone at first, I quickly found my groove and sure enough was elected senator for my class, which was awesome. Shortly after graduating from college, I was volunteering at a local charity event in my hometown when I was introduced to someone from the Sierra club who talked to me about this dirty coal plant in my community that I had no idea about, which inspired me to lobby my local officials, engage alderman, and go to Springfield to rally alongside members of my community through the Clean Power Lake County group. From that experience, I realized how important it is to stay connected with your representative in order to effect change because if I’m represented by someone then they should at least listen to what I have to say if given the opportunity to speak with them.
Q: Why did you decide to join PTP?
Before, I was so intertwined with social media because I was curious about what people were thinking during this election season; however, I realized you can only do so much through social media, so in March I signed up to be an election judge. I remember sitting in my precinct from the morning until late evening talking with people coming in to vote and checking them in, which was really cool to see my community vote in one of the highest turnout primaries in the county in a while. From that experience I gained this true passion for talking about politics, so when I heard about PTP, I was naturally very curious. I have a lot of pride in my community, but what frustrates me is that there’s little political mobilization from the community members for whatever reason, so working with PTP provides me with a direct way to have conversations with registered voters and encourage my fellow community members to exercise their rights in a positive way this election. In short, I joined PTP because it gave me a tangible, actionable way to positively contribute in this political season and mobilize my community to take part as well.
Q: How have your past experiences helped prepare you as a Field Representative?
A common denominator in my past experiences is interacting with people and connecting them to things, whether it be connecting youth at a camp to nature, or connecting underprivileged communities to nature based programs, which is kind of what I did in my last job. So I use those skills of talking to people and building relationships to engage, empower and mobilize others. In this case I’m the bridge between the people in my community and the national election as well as local, state, and municipal elections, which will impact them the most.
Q: What is the best tactic that you use to get a commitment to vote from someone?
The secret is to be genuine with people and reinforce their identity as a voter whose voice matters. A lot of that has to do with the attitude I approach the door with, so when I knock it’s not disingenuous for me to thank them for doing their civic duty by taking the step to register and vote in the past. I like to affirm them for not only planning on voting but also for voting Democrat, so I say things like, “you’re so thoughtful about why you vote, now we want to encourage others to do the same.”
Q: What was the most memorable encounter you’ve had with someone while working as a field rep?
I was speaking to this woman who was leaning towards not voting, but at least she gave me the time of day to have a conversation with her about why she felt that way. I just told her that “although you feel like your vote doesn’t matter, this is the most competitive congressional district in the US where small amounts of votes make a big difference, so your opinion is important and we need your vote”. The fact that she had someone to share her views with and listen to how she feels as a voter empowered her, and even though I didn’t offer advice, I listened. She was very grateful and made a commitment to vote, and it was one of those moments where you know she was appreciative, which makes a big difference for me. If theres that one person with whom you’ve made a positive impact, whether that means clearing up a misunderstanding about how the elections work, explaining different voting methods, or even helping to register their friends and family to vote, then helping inform them always feels good and it makes my job well worth it.
Q: What’s the one thing you can’t live without?
Nature. If there weren’t natural spaces to enjoy, then I would go crazy. Too much of an urban environment is mentally taxing; sometimes, you just need a nice forest preserve to walk through.
Q: You’re trapped on an island with no escape. What are 3 things you want with you?
I would say for one, a frisbee disc, because an island makes a great frolf course, so that’ll keep me busy. Something else I like to do to entertain myself is freestyle on the violin, so I’d also want that with me. Third, I guess I’d want a tarp because I don’t like being wet and I think a tarp would go a long way.
