CONCORD, N.C. — Hundreds of people kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month Sunday at Festival El Grito in Concord.
Angel Romero arrived decked in head-to-toe representation of El Salvador, where he lived before moving to Charlotte 27 years ago.
"It's the honor for me and all my people to represent the independence to my country," Romero said.
The Festival included dozens of vendors, including multiple groups offering resources to the growing Latino community ahead of the November election.
"For a long time, there's been a vibrant Hispanic community in Charlotte, and it's becoming more clear now as it grows even more," said Jack Golub with the Hispanic Federation. "It's really exciting to be able to see that recognition grow and that appreciation grow."
New numbers from UnidosUS show only 58% of Latinos in North Carolina say they are certain they will vote, which is a smaller percentage than other states they polled.
"There's a lot of Latino members of the community who have been citizens for a long time and are eligible to vote, but just don't know it, or haven't for whatever reason, because it hasn't been accessible to them," Golub said.
More data from UnidosUS show that many of those voters are undecided, leaving an opening for either campaign. They found that 49% had not been contacted yet by either campaign.
Golub said they registered 10 people to vote in just the first hour.
The voter registration deadline for this November's election is Oct. 11. You can register online, in person at the DMV, or by mail.