Blocking Latino Votes - NYTimes.com "Latino Growth Not Fully Felt at Voting Booth" (front page, June 10) discussed how Latino voter participation lags behind that of other groups and attributed the gap, among other reasons, to a lack of faith among many potential Latino voters that electoral participation makes a difference in their lives. In addition, as you note, Latino voters are facing an effort to block our full participation in the 2012 election. Right-wing politicians have embarked on a campaign to discourage Latino participation. They have passed restrictive voter ID laws in 27 states, including 7 key swing states in which Latino participation can tip the balance. They've tried to block voter registration efforts with a Florida law so extreme that the League of Women Voters stopped voter registration efforts in that state. A recent court decision in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union upended that outrageous law. We're also seeing voter list purges that drive registered Latino voters off the rolls and force them to reregister. It has happened in Wisconsin, Ohio and now Florida. In short, the rules have changed dramatically since 2008. The real story in 2012 is our community's rallying and organizing to overcome efforts to deny us our rightful place at the table. MARIA TERESA KUMAR Founding President and Chief Executive, Voto Latino Washington, June 13, 2012