19 year-old Cecilio M. wasn’’t ever too much into politics. Even though people had always told him he’d be a good politician because he’s outgoing and charismatic, it really wasn’t his thing.

But the hip hop norteño music of Akwid was his thing.

Cecilio came to Voto Latino’s Be Counted concert in LA just to see Akwid, and ended up being the winner of Voto Latino’s custom-print Epiphone guitar.

While at the concert, Cecilio was so into the music that he didn’t even hear his name called as the winner. “My girlfriend was yelling at me, ‘Babe, baaaabe, you won!!’ so loud that I swore it was my mom,” he recalls. “Then I got up on stage, and Jesus Malverde told me that we have to vote for a better future and, I agreed.”

And there you have it – another Latino voting in the City of Los Angeles!

Charitable foundations and nonprofits are taking an unusually active role this year in trying to get an accurate census count. They say the people they serve have the most to benefit but are also among the least likely to participate.

Most Americans will get their 2010 census questionnaire sometime around March 15. Every 10 years, it’s a challenge getting everyone to fill out their census forms and send them back to the government.

One of the most active nonprofits is Voto Latino, which tries to encourage civic engagement by Latinos. The group has come up with some pretty cool ways to encourage Latinos to fill out their census forms.

Read the rest at NPR News.