Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[jack]

This appeared in the Washington Hispanic on April 1 -- front page, above the fold. -- Jack

Residentes permanentes votan en DC
Victor Caycho
Washington Hispanic
1 de Abril de 2005

Por primera vez, los inmigrantes que son residentes permanentes en el área de Mount Pleasant votarán este sábado 2, entre 2:00 y las 5:00 de la tarde, para elegir a un comisionado, quien será de sus principales problemas ante las autoridades del gobierno local en DC.

Se trata de un acto trascendental, a pesar de que lo votación es simbólica, pues se le dará un carácter de plan piloto para aplicarse en el futuro en otras circunscripciones del Distrito, según comentó Greg Edwards, presidente de la comisión del vecindario de Mount Pleasant.

Al final del acto de sufragio, a realizarse en la biblioteca del área, situada en el 3160 de la calle 16, en la esquina con Lamont Street, se procederá al escrutinio en el mismo lugar. El ganador, entre do candidatos – Rick Massumi y Angelina D. Scott --, se conocerá esa misma tarde.

Durante la votación estarán presentes delegaciones de la clínica Mary’s Center, del Neighbors’ Consejo y de Carecen, entre otras organizaciones comunitarias.

[jack]

The Mount Pleasant Latino community was clearly pleased by the gesture of the ANC to provide for noncitizen voting. Only seven votes were cast in the noncitizen ballot box, compared to 38 in the registered-voter ballot box. Nonetheless, seven residents came out in the cold rain to vote, though their votes were symbolic only, and did not count in the actual election. Some questioned our procedures for certifying legally resident, noncitizen voters. That critique simply showed how seriously our noncitizen residents take this gesture. Even if their votes are only symbolic, they want to vote, and they want their votes counted properly.

I'm grateful to Gregg Edwards for having spearheaded this demonstration of noncitizen voting.

-- Jack

[Bill]

Jack,

How were the 38 votes split amongst the 2 candidates?

Also, if you are giving thanks, you should also thank Ms. Collins for bringing this ANC mistake up on the posted notices. Without her, you could have had your election challenged after the fact. This way, the BOEE, with help from the library, was able to accomodate a late election to comply with the ANC error.

Thanks Laurie!

Bill