Hondo Voters Ready for REAL CHANGE!

With record shattering turn out, the voters of Hondo, Texas elected 3 community members to the Hondo City Council on May 10th. In an elections typically decided by less than 10% of registered voters, the efforts of HEC and SWU turned out over 51% (or 1,622) voters. Focusing on low-income and Latino areas of town, the Nuestra Voz campaign brought out first time and newly registered voters in force. Now, the Mexican majority town has a progressive majority on the Council who ran a collective campaign and who we hope will be much more responsive to the voice of the people.

The deep seated legacy of racism and good 'ol boy system pushed back to shut the community out of the elections. Hondo is a City of 8,000, 40 miles west of San Antonio, plagued with a racial and class divide reminiscent of the 1950s. 70% of residents are people of color, predominantly Mexican with a small African-American population. This community is 6 times more likely than its white counterparts to living in poverty. The median income for a household in the city is under $28,000. 1/3 of children live in poverty.

The Nuestra Voz Campaign went door to door for two months educating voters and potential voters about the importance of building our power through using the electoral system and undoing the mentality that 'change is not possible.' We developed a platform around revitalization, education and the environment which was endorsed by the 3 winning candidates, registered 250 new voters and organized numerous events to express our demands for a better Hondo.

From giving Mexican voters ineligible 'sample ballots' to fill out to changing the process for casting your vote to watching voters fill out the ballots to implementing unlawful ID requirements, the establishment attempted to keep folks out of the polling place. Voting cards and vote by mail ballots were sent out late. Even after the election was over the City attempted to load the ballot boxes into the car of the incumbents' husband. After early voting (with record turn out), before election day, the local paper, the Hondo Anvil Herald front page stated:

"voting in the election, which has a record breaking early vote, is crucial if a fair representation of the city's electorate is to decide to keep their current city council members, who by all reports and indications have been very productive, or to replace one, two of all three of them with their challengers."

In spite of the intimidation, the Nuestra Voz campaign pushed back through know-your-rights trainings, engaging state lawyers in voter protection and maintaining a constant presence in the City and County. Volunteers were on the streets every day during early voting and election day to get out the vote, offer rides, assure all eligible voters were counted and energize the community to the polls. Never had so much attention or energy surrounded an election.

In the end the voters rejected the status quo politics and voted for change. HEC is working on establishing meetings with each of the new councilpeople to review our platform for change and maintain a strong sense of accountability to all the folks that came out to vote. HEC will use the energy from the elections to encourage more transparency from the city, more participation in local issues and increase in resources directed towards the needs of the historical marginalized residents.

The elections proves a HUGE victory for the people and for the Hondo Empowerment Committee. Many thanks to our sister organizations SWOP, Southern Echo and CVH for their invaluable support and expertise.

We showed without a doubt our ability to mobilize power and make a huge difference at the polls. Election day is just the beginning. Adelante con la revolucion!

Coverage from San Antonio Current here