Skip navigation

When they came for our vote: The Vargas Case

Join the Latino Action Network and civil rights attorney Juan Cartagena as we review Vargas v. Calabrese, the case that challenged racial voter intimidation in Jersey City and led to reforms protecting minority voting rights.

In 1985, thousands of minority voters were targeted with mass challenges, new ID rules, intimidation at the polls, and deliberate efforts to “slow down the vote” in Black and Puerto Rican neighborhoods. Community members fought back in the streets and in the courts, and their lawsuit forced major changes to election law and procedures across New Jersey.

These protections were not freely given, they were won through struggle. At a time when voting rights are again under pressure across the country, the lessons of Vargas v. Calabrese remain urgent and relevant. Learn how this case reshaped elections in Jersey City, why it still matters today, and what it means to defend the right to vote now.

WHEN
March 24, 2026
6:30pm - 8pm
CONTACT
Cory Garriga · · (908) 346-3825
16 RSVPS
Justinian Difo Anthony Cupo Arianna Mouré Colleen Roche Nancy Ortiz Tesha Mateo Lady Jimenez Torres Joel Torres Julio Garcia Maria Andrade Silkia Rivera
Who's RSVPing
Justinian Difo
Anthony Cupo
Arianna Mouré
Colleen Roche
Nancy Ortiz
Tesha Mateo
Lady Jimenez Torres
Joel Torres
Julio Garcia
Maria Andrade
Silkia Rivera

Will you come?


Showing 11 reactions

  • Justinian Difo
    rsvped 2026-03-24 18:02:00 -0400
  • Anthony Cupo
    rsvped 2026-03-24 17:33:44 -0400
  • Arianna Mouré
    rsvped 2026-03-24 10:25:04 -0400
  • Colleen Roche
    rsvped 2026-03-05 13:37:24 -0500
  • Nancy Ortiz
    rsvped 2026-03-05 07:23:00 -0500
  • Tesha Mateo
    rsvped 2026-03-05 06:52:24 -0500
  • Lady Jimenez Torres
    rsvped 2026-03-04 20:50:57 -0500
  • Joel Torres
    rsvped 2026-03-04 19:40:04 -0500
  • Julio Garcia
    rsvped 2026-03-04 17:56:53 -0500
  • Maria Andrade
    rsvped 2026-03-04 15:25:33 -0500
  • Silkia Rivera
    rsvped 2026-03-04 14:19:56 -0500