Even if you are too busy to see the voting site signs outside the Central Public Library, if you see Arcelia Flores Villalon and Cecilia (Ceci) Rosas in the lobby, you know there's an election on.
Flores, the polling place judge and Rosas, her assistant, have traditionally run the most popular early voting place as long as anyone can remember. For example, in the Texas Southmost College board elections, of 4,401 votes case in the early voting period, 2,525 were cast in the Central Library site, or 53 percent, more than half. The remainder were cast in the six other sites.
For example, in the Texas Southmost College board elections, of 4,401 votes case in the early voting period, 2,525 were cast in the Central Library site, or 53 percent, more than half. The remainder were cast in the six other sites. Likewise, in the recent Brownsville Navigation District election, 2,662 votes of the 4,127 cast in the early voting period were cast there, or 64.5 percent.
With early voting taking on more importance (65 to 70 percent of the vote comes in then), it is not unusual to see a candidate or two peeking in occasionally furtively trying to gauge how their fortunes are faring.
But they can only do so up to a point and can't be wearing their campaign shirts or do any campaigning within the boundaries marked off by placards stuck into the ground all around the polling place.
This time it's the runoff election for the Democratic Party that brings them and their crew to run the polling place.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to vote in the District 37 State Representative race between challenger Alex Dominguez, a county commissioner for Precinct 2, or the incumbent Rene Oliveria. Again, depending on where you live, you may be able to vote in the Precinct 2, Place 2 race between challenger Javier Reyna,a a Captain in the Cameron County Sheriff's Dept., or the incumbent Jonathan Gracia.
Countywide, there's the runoff for 197th District Court between Carlos Masso, a Brownsville attorney and Brownsville Navigation District commissioner, and Brownsville attorney and former magistrate Adolfo Cordova. This is a heated race and includes Willacy County.
Statewide, Sheriff Lupe Valdez, an Hispanic woman, is in a runoff with Andrew White for a chance to run against GOP incumbent Greg Abbott.
Ceci and Arcelia are sticklers for decorum and polling place rules. You can't talk politics within earshot of the polls. And forget about taking pictures that could even remotely show the identity of a voter inside. For example, they'd never allow these two Cordova supporters wearing his T-shirt to openly campaign within a few steps of the doors of the polling place as these two workers did. Witnesses say they were allowed to talk to the ladies with the backs to the camera before they walked in the door.
Outside the polls there are also rules. Taking photos there is a different matter, of course. We were able to get a photo of them when they were walking the perimeter to make sure the campaigning distances were not being violated by the candidates or their supporters. At a distance, on the Central Boulevard entrance, campaign workers for the various campaigns held up signs at the passing traffic urging them to blacken the oval for their candidates.
Election day crews like this are at work across the entire county. They fulfill one of the most important functions of our democracy. It is up to you now to do your part and vote.
Arcelia and Ceci are in the house. Must be election time.