SWOPblogger

The Battle for Hondo, Texas is ON!
Dispatch 1

8:30am – Rendón Informal Polling Services of Hondo, Texas sez that the early election day turnout is running 7 to 2 in favor of the Real Change Campaign community slate. Genaro Rendón passes out sample ballots that list the names Chavel López, Lucio Torrez, and Virginia Gonzales. They are going for a majority on the five member Hondo City Council, putting everything up for grabs here in this town of 8,000 located about 45 minutes west of San Antonio on highway 90.

Molestoso is here to help out, act as an international observer, and figure out a way that he can put in a full day and get done to make it back to Rosedale Park on San Antonio’s west side in enough time to catch Mingo Saldívar y sus Cuatro Espadas during the last evening of the annual Tejano Conjunto Festival. Mole wants to dance his ass off later – but only if it’s a victory celebration.

“We have already had a record number of people coming out to vote early and by mail. Election officials are telling us that they have been overwhelmed by over 250 newly registered voters. The high level of pre-election day participation is an indicator of the desire for Real Change,” says campaign volunteer Lara.

The total early vote was over 900. The Real Change Campaign figures that they came out ahead in the early voting by a slim margin, but what has caused the turnout is the Campaign itself.

There’s a lot of talk nationally these days about “transcending race” but I don’t think people pushing that line have spent much time in Hondo. Most of the anglos headed to the City Hall polling place go out of their way to avoid the Real Change flatbed truck full of campaign workers and volunteers. One guy drives by in his truck “Thanks for blocking the street!”

“And thank you for voting!” says a campaign volunteer cheerily in response.

They’re not happy because they figure to lose today. State power comes crashing down hard in Hondo, Texas.

The police on the other hand are all smiles and waves if only because they can smell a new employer a mile away.

8:55am – the count is at 20 to 10 in favor of the Real Change slate

An election inspector is here from the Secretary of State’s office, following a request from the Real Change Campaign and a petition signed by 15 registered voters. Irregularities in the campaign have included folks being turned away from early voting, identification not being accepted, voter registration status not being honored.

So far this morning, county staff seem to be spending most of their time keeping an animated Rendón behind the sign saying “Prohibition of Certain Devices within 100 feet of Voting Station.”

9:27am – vote running 41-20. The 2-1 margin is holds steady.

“I told my kids if it weren’t for these folks, we would still be getting all that air pollution from the grain silos,” says a woman as she picks up a sample ballot with the Real Change candidates highlighted.

The Hondo Empowerment Committee, initiated by the Southwest Workers Union nearly twenty years ago, has a long track of work on environmental justice issues. The HEC has mobilized residents of this town to shut down polluting grain silos, granaries, and a fertilizer warehouse. United action by the community is what has made the Campaign for Real Change possible.

According to candidate Chavel Lopez, “We’re going to win this campaign. The people are more united than ever, stronger than ever. We’re knocking on doors right now and we’ll be celebraing with a victory party tonight.”

11:45am – vote running 85-70. The other side is catching up. What’s the profile of the average Saturday morning Hondo voter versus the average Saturday afternoon Hondo voter? We’ll find out, there’s a lot more work to do today.