Hispanic Officials Urge Immigrant Voters to Get to Polls

Hispanic elected officials in the Washington area yesterday urged immigrant voters to vote next Tuesday to demonstrate their political power and counter what they called a troubling surge of

anti-immigrant sentiment in parts of the region.

Speaking in Spanish at a news conference in Arlington attended by several Spanish-language news organizations, the officials urged immigrant voters who are U.S. citizens not to worry about being intimidated at the polls. They unveiled a telephone hotline --

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA -- that they said would be staffed by lawyers who could advise voters on how to protect their rights.

Several of the speakers specifically criticized some officials in Northern Virginia for engaging in what they called "the politics of hate." They said they are coming forward now because Tuesday is a significant election in which the entire Virginia General Assembly will be selected and key local government posts will be filled in Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun and Arlington counties and in Gaithersburg.

Maryland Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez (D-Montgomery County) said that Corey A. Stewart (R), chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and leader of the effort to approve a crackdown on illegal immigrants there, is taking unconstitutional actions.

"We have rights, and we have to defend them," Gutierrez said.

She said she is proud to hail from Maryland but fears that anti-immigrant sentiments will spread north from Northern Virginia. "Maryland is not Virginia," she said. "It doesn't have the anti-immigrant feelings."

Stewart and Gary H. Baise, candidate for chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, are planning to hold a news conference today to discuss illegal immigration.

J. Walter Tejada, vice chairman of the Arlington County board, who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador when he was 13, said citizens do not need to fear that they will get into trouble by voting.

He said voters should go to the polls, "calmly and tranquilly . . . with a smile." Voters do not need to bring identification with them; signing an affidavit of citizenship at the polls is sufficient proof of eligibility.

But Tejada warned against trying to vote illegally. "If you aren't a citizen, don't try to vote," he said.