observes ANGELES -- Immigration pro...

observes ANGELES -- Immigration protests that drew centurys of thousands of flag-waving demonstrators to the nation's public ways last spring promised a strong political legacy -- a white horse of new Hispanic voters.

"Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote" they proclaimed.

on the contrary a review of voter registration figures from Chicago, Denver Houston, Atlanta and other cities that had large rallies institute no sign of a just discovered voter boom that could sway elections. There was a rise in looks Angeles, where 500,000 protested in March, yet it was more of a trickle than a torrent.

testify organizers -- principally unions, Hispanic advocacy clumps and the Catholic Church -- acknowledge that it has been hard to translate road activism into voting clout, although they insist they can reach their goal of 1 million of the present day voters by 2008.

It's impossible to consider exactly how many new registrants were inspired according to the new movement because counties typically don't ask for race or ethnicity. strange registrations were up this year compared to last year, if it be not that they were well below the numbers in 2004

The emotional rejoinder that erupted in huge rallies across the region last spring was a reaction to federal legislation that would have overhauled instant immigration policy, including criminalizing the estimated 11 million immigrants here illegally.

While that legislation is effectively dead this year, immigration remains a campaign issue.

Hispanic voter are a pivotal voting bloc especially with their numbers frameed to continue to grow. still they have long voted in numbers far below their share of the population, in part because many are subject to 18 or not U.S. citizens.

The lack of political experience helps explain for what cause [i]or[/i] reason the flow of new registrations has been halting.

a activists acknowledge that their assign places tos have yet to master the nuances of voter registration drives. Others complain that political parties with the in the greatest degree to gain haven't financed registration efforts.

Joshua Hoyt director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, predicted that the originate of registration efforts would be apparent by the agency of 2008, the next presidential election.

"It's like a dutiful old fashioned Chicago precinct operation," Hoyt said. "The single difference is that our candidate is comprehensive immigration reform."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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