Lin-Manuel Miranda addresses voters in Houston ahead of Election Day

HOUSTON, TX (KTRK) — In an effort to strengthen Latino voices in the election, songwriter and activist Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to travel to Houston on Tuesday to speak with students about the upcoming midterm election.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign said they expect up to 10.6 million people to vote this half-term, but Miranda is concerned whether those numbers will include significant turnout from Hispanic or young voters. This part of the constituency is why the creator of “Hamilton” traveled here with his father.

“Dionne Warwick said it better than any of us,” Miranda told ABC13. “‘I believe the children are our future.’ And honestly, I think the eyes of the United States are on Texas right now. We have an opportunity to make history.”

Miranda spent his afternoon at the University of Houston hosting a panel sponsored in part by NextGen America. Miranda and the young voters were able to talk about the issues important to them.

“Young people are powerful and they are registering in record numbers,” said NextGen America National President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez. “You have the power to dictate what happens in this Texas election, and as Texas goes, so goes the nation.”

Miranda also spoke at a rally for District Judge Lina Hidalgo, where he said his activism was inspired by his father Luis Miranda’s involvement in politics.

“How do we increase the political participation of Latinos?” asked Luis Miranda. “Not only do we vote, but we sit at the table, because at the end of the day democracy is better when there are many voices, the voices of the country.”

Latinos and young voters are those who are typically underrepresented at the ballot box. In each cycle there are efforts to engage them. Lin-Manuel hopes his efforts in Texas helped.

“I’m a playwright, I write songs to make a living,” Miranda said. “I understand there is skepticism about my even being here, but I’m also an American citizen who is concerned about the direction of this country. The eyes of the country and the world are on Texas, and that’s why we wanted to put ourselves in the spotlight and show what’s at stake in this election.”

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