Did you hear about the 10 mail-in ballots that were going to be disqualified by the Cameron County Elections Administrator's Office?
Apparently, the voters, for a variety of causes, had not submitted legal ballots, including not signing their names before they before they sealed them and mailed them in. So, in accordance to the rules, the clerks over at Roger Ortiz's office reportedly mailed them a letter informing them that their vote was invalid and warning them that they must either vote in their respective precincts on Tuesday or lose their vote.
There was only one catch, however. The mail-in ballots are opened on Monday, and the letters cannot possibly reach the voters by the next day seeing how our mail in Brow
nsville is delivered to McAllen and then sent back for distribution. Additionally, Monday was Memorial day, so no mail could possibly go out that day in time to reach the voters.
Ah, but name recognition and political cachet has its perks.
Apparently, the whole roomful of clerks and poll watchers recognized a name on one of the ballots and gave the alarm. The ballot belonged to former City of Brownsville Mayor Blanca Vela, whose son Filemon Jr. was a candidate for the Dist. 34 congressional race. The place, said a witness, was in an uproar.
Now, no one said anything about the other nine people who lost their votes, but the Vela ballot apparently inspired someone in the office to call herhonner and told her to vote in her precinct the next day. And so, thanks to the timely interference by Cameron County personnel, Filemon Jr. got one more vote.
An oversight on Blanca's part? Or perhaps she is due for some assisted voting at this stage in her political career.
Observers who were at the count as poll watchers say that many of those who were there as poll watches were there for the first time and even after they had the cursory introduction from the elections staff, many were utterly at a loss to discern legal from illegal proceedings.
"It was like the blind leading the blind," asserted May Helen Flores, who was there on behalf of a candidate as well as for her watchdog group Citizens Against Voter Abuse. "Many of them didn't even know how to challenge votes."
Flores, who had taken the time to bone up on the poll watcher manual posted on line by the Texas Secretary of State said it has taken her a few elections to get acquainted with the intricacies of the system said that unless the candidates assign people who are versed in the system, it really doesn't matter if they assign watchers who don't know what is transpiring before them.
"There is a great deal of ineptness on the part of the elections staff and by the watchers assigned to the count," she said. "Most people just don't know what is going on around them."
However, she said she was present when Vela's mail-in ballot was discussed among the staff and watchers at the mail-in count.
"If someone called Blanca, they should have also made the effort to reach the other nine people whose votes were rejected," she said.
(After this post appeared, we learned from Ms. Flores that at least one of the nine voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected was contacted by someone at elections and he promptly presented a signed affidavit stating that the reason his signature on the ballot was different from that on the application was because he had been hospitalized at the time he signed the mail-in ballot and sent it to the elections office. Thanks for the clarification Mary Helen.)
25 comments:
Yawn.... The applicant's phone numbers are on each application. All the Elections Office had to do was call 9 elderly folks to alert them of their mistake and remind them to vote. If only Roger Ortiz wasn't entirely incompetent, this minor issue could have been taken care of in less than 5 minutes.
If only Roger Ortiz wasn't entirely incompetent #2:
He would have ensured the poll watchers they hired were both trained and knowledgeable about the election codes.
And then they wonder, why some people can't stand the Velas. I will vote against this clown. I just don't like the guy.
If only Roger Ortiz wasn't entirely incompetent #3: he would only hire PAID poll watchers can discern legal from illegal activities
Blanca Vela is 76 yrs old, but she loves and supports her son and wanted to vote for him. Maybe her eyesight isn't what it used to be. All of those 10 folks deserved the few minutes it would have taken the Elections folks to tell them to vote in person after Memorial Day. I would blame the Elecitons office more than political favoritism if the other 9 were not called. After all, the phone numbers are printed right there on the ballot request form. this sounds like a lot of fuss over nothing
another Election OFfice screw up!! Wait whut they can't call 10 old people without drama? After Judge Carlos Cascos election screw ups, imagine the look of surprise that is not on my face
There is a fine line between "ineptness" and "incompetence" in the Cameron County elections office. It is a political office....and usually a political decision by the Commissioner's Court. In every election there are "glitches" that seem to indicate "ineptness" and simple errors that seem to by "incopetence". The "buck stops" with Roger Ortiz....is he "inept" or "incompetent"???????? A "fish stinks from its head".....and Ortiz hired and trained his staff...what does that tell us??
I still can't believe Villalobos got more votes than Troiani. Vela just put out those boring TV ads at the last minute. I guess that's all you have to do then. Denise are you listening??!!! Put out an ad. You weren't my first or second choice but i'll choose you over Vela because I don't like him.
Ha ha ha this family is against politiqueras and they bought all that was available in Hidalgo and Cameron. Denise better fight hard or this clown will just walk in. The Divas are out prostituting themselves for votes.
Vela might not have the carisma Troiani has but at least he is not a fake like Dennis.
Wow Juan. Putting a picture of Filemon Jr. and his mom the day of Judge Vela's funeral, when he and his ma are holding his late father's framed photo in mourning. Hope you are proud of this stupid article and picture.
Vela will buy his way into Congress on the cheap from you pendejos.
"And so, thanks to the timely interference by Cameron County personnel, Filemon Jr. got one more vote."
WOW! His elderly mom's one vote was the reason he fucking mopped the floor with the other candidates. Most of the other 9 votes were probably his too. he lost votes if the Elections office did not call those people
The Vela's only rub elbows with the people with Big Money. The Mom and Son are absolutely nothing like the late Judge Vela. So people pay attention and be careful on who you send to Washington to represent you. Let's see if you print this Juanito. A true journalist will. Which are you?
"Vela will buy his way into Congress on the cheap from you pendejos."
As opposed to Blanchard who will NOT buy herself into congress by purchasing expensive ads on TV and the Herald?
'tas pero bien pendejo. Who the hell wants a Salomon Ortiz mini-me?
Is that why both Filemon Vela, Jr. and his wife Judge Rose Vela were having dinner with District Court Judge Leonel Alejandro at a restaurant in Harlingen? I work there and I know who they are. It was interesting to see them breaking bread and having a good time.
The Vela candidacy is the biggest con of the election season. The guy offers nothing other than the memory of his Daddy the federal judge. He has no substance and can barely put two coherent thoughts together. For those that know him he is mean spirited and nothing like his brother Ralph or his cousin Manny. He is a registered Republican who has personally run Republican candidates against Democrats for personal gain. He is the force behind his Republican wife Rose Vela's campaign against Democrat Roy Valdez. The guy is at best a mediocre lawyer. Do not vote for him just because of his last name. If name dropping impresses you then why not write in David Garza. After all he is the son of Federal Judge Reynaldo Garza. Get the point?
Vela no vale verga! Este vato no sabe lo que es trabajar. No viene de padres humildes. Don't vote for this clown.
"Who the hell wants a Salomon Ortiz mini-me?"
I agree, this family's votes are going to Filemon Vela on the 31st.
I hope Reynaldo "Trey" Garza runs for something in the future too
For those accusing Filemon of being a republican... yawn. The looney tooney Democrats tried that argument with Carlos Cascos twice (who actually did run as a Republican) and Gilbert Hinojosa and John Wood LOST both elections. big time. It's a shame the local Democrat leadership sinks to the slime level so frequently. Filemon has given more money to Democrats over the years than to a few of his Republican wife's friends. Former Cameron County Democrat party chairmen have endorsed him.
This "republican" accusation isn't about Filemon, it is about Gilbert Hinojosa who told everyone to vote for the "real" Democrat Armando Villalobos,,,, Villalobos of course indicted on racketeering charges and probably facing prison time with Gilbert's other favorite Democrat candidate, Conrado Cantu.
Este vato no sabe lo que es trabajar.
Um, unlike his opponent Vela actually does have a job.
All I see is more deflated attacks that hold no merit. A bunch of angry whiners who are stunned by Vela's strong showing in the primary.
One doesn't win 40% of the vote by being negative. And Denise can't make up the gap through spitting venom. She's in for a serious battle if she goes negative through anything other than anonymous blog comments. It would be best for the party and her personal life to keep this race based on issues that matter to voters. Actually, the best thing for the party would be for her to realize that Ramiro was just as strong in the election and she already had a major shot to make some changes for us. Don't believe me? Ask another veteran.
LOOK, i just noticed that Blanca Vela is 76 years old and still votes thats great. I also noticed she is younger than our demented and worthless SHERIFF Omar Lucio at his age all he should be doing is voting. Ya suelta la chichi OMAR.
Lucio needs to have an interpreter to decipher what he is trying to tell the television audiences when he gives a press conference. I am sure no one understands one bit of what he is mumbling. Contrary, it is a pleasure to listen to Lupe Trevino from Hidalgo County, who can articulate and make sense when he speaks. We need to learn to vote for the person, not the party.
Vote for Filemon "El Chucky" Vela. This is one bizarre looking Mothfuca but I am voting for him because he is Ralph "el Muneco" Vela's brother.
Post a Comment