Lmarc Loc: Ojojona, Honduras

I just got back from the polls where my wife voted in the Honduran presidential election. This was an experience!

Everyone in Honduras is required to vote in the precinct which is indicated on their government issued (free) photo ID card. Everyone over 18 is required to have an ID, and everyone with an ID can vote. No one else. My wife's precinct is Barrio El Bosque, so she was required to go to the Escuela de 14 de Julio (local elementary school) if she wanted to vote.

When we arrived at the Escuela there were hundreds of people milling around the street and a long line was waiting to enter. The entire scene was closely watched over by Army and Policía Nacionál to make sure order was kept. For the most part everything was quite orderly, and people were polite to each other even with the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. After passing the guard and entering the school we went to the main table in the courtyard where they ran her ID through a computer and she was given the little slip of paper below. It indicates her name, her precinct, her "mesa" (voting area) and "linea" number (her number on the voter registration list).

The "mesas" in this case are rooms in the school, number from 8570 to 8590, in order to handle the hundreds of people waiting to vote. Her mesa was 8586, so after finding the room there was a list of all registered voters beside the door. She checked her line number with photo, 235, to make sure she is at the right door, the man watching the door looked at her ID again, and let her in. She went to the table inside the room for a ballot, was checked again for ID and compared it to the info and photo in the registry, was given two ballots, one for president and one for congress, and this time they held her ID while she voted. Voting booths made of cardboard were set up on school tables for privacy, so after voting she deposited her ballots in the appropriate boxes, was given her ID back and we left.

I wanted to take photos but no cameras were allowed anywhere but in the street. No alcohol is sold anywhere in Honduras from Saturday through Monday, the day before and the day after election.

They take voter ID, and potential vote fraud, VERY seriously. It was certainly an eye-opener for me! :shock: :shock:

Election Information Honduras

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

Tell me they didn't ask for a Photo ID! Tell me it ain't so! what is this world coming to when they ask for an ID to vote!

OH, wait, that was Honduras. Gosh, I thought you meant here in the States!

Okay, I am being a smart-ass. You have a good system there. Voting should be taken serious. I am for Voter ID.

Lmarc Loc: Ojojona, Honduras

I've always been for voter ID. There's no legitimate, rational reason not to have it. :roll: :roll:

Lmarc Loc: Ojojona, Honduras

Polls are closed and everyone is awaiting the count. Here are a couple news photos, no one else was allowed to bring cameras. Security was very tight. The photo with the ballots show the presidential candidates, to the right the candidates for congress. The only woman in the presidential race is the Libre (communist) candidate, Xiomara Castro, wife of Mel Zelaya, the guy who was kicked out a while back in what Hillary and BO delighted in calling a "coup". It was actually done EXACTLY according to constitutional law. Results should start coming in soon, then it will get a bit noisy. I'm sure I'll have fun trying to figure out which are fireworks and which are gunfire. If Xiomara loses, the communists will probably toss a few grenades and bombs, which is their MO. That should be fun. :shock: :shock:

Polling security


Ballots

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

Keep us posted! Please.

Lmarc Loc: Ojojona, Honduras

Yeah, I just started a post-election thread.

FrumCA

I too am all for a voter ID being required to vote . I don't understand why the libs are so dead set against it. Surely it can't be because it would presumably eliminate dead people and some others who vote more than once from doing so. I would much rather have some $$ taken in taxes to pay for administering a voter ID program than have to pay for some things I do not want or need on my health insurance policy.

tbohon Loc: Olympia, WA USA

After spending 22+ years in the USAF and voting in every election by mail I was excited to actually get to go to a polling place, show my ID, sign the roster, get my ballot and go vote. Of course it didn't last - the state of Washington decided that voting by mail was 'the' way to go and now everybody votes by mail.

To me this is silly, just as silly as not requiring an ID for those states where you still have polls. Showing a valid ID isn't discrimination for God's sake, it's just a way to identify you and ensure that you are the one voting. People and governments who are against it are, IMO, the ones we should be closely monitoring to see how many deceased voters cast ballots, how many felons or prisoners, etc. ... 'cause something fishy is going on.

JoAnneK01 Loc: Lahaina, Hawaii

Having served in the military for 20+ years the only voting I did was via mail. Having voted 11 times while in the service of my country was a pleasure. In 1988, I voted for the first time in a booth. It was totally awesome and a pleasure. What a difference it made. I still get that feeling every time I go to vote and show my photo ID. Living in a democratic state it is required to show a government photo ID and no one here complains.

I do NOT understand why anyone would not want to have their Constitutional rights protected for our most sacred right.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

"No alcohol is sold anywhere in Honduras from Saturday through Monday, the day before and the day after election. "

Well that wouldn't make sense. It's the way most votes are bought here by the Dims. One bottle of Thunderbird will get at least two votes. From the same voter. :thumbup:

Lmarc Loc: Ojojona, Honduras

The Policía Nacionál caught one woman trying to sneak in two extra ballots under her shirt. As far as I know that was the ONLY case of attempted fraud anyone found. I'm sure they will make an example of her!!

There were observers from the US and a few other countries watching the election. No one reported a single irregularity! I like that! Plus the fact that Xiomara appears to have lost. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Lmarc Loc: Ojojona, Honduras

Well, although the Tribunál Supremo Electorál hasn't officially announced the result, it is certain that the new president of Honduras is Juan Orlando Hernández, much to the chagrin of Xiomara Castro Zelaya. He has been recognized by a few countries already, including Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega. For a "communist" Ortega actually treats his people quite well. :thumbup:

Things were pretty quiet last night. I heard a couple explosions, but they may not have been election-related. I think it was mainly because it was raining hard most of the night, and the explosions may have been shorted transformers. My wife and I went downtown around noon, and it was mostly deserted. Not much traffic and very few people on the street. Other than that, I saw nothing irregular. We'll see how Mel and Xiomara handle losing when the official results come out. :thumbup:

Lmarc Loc: Ojojona, Honduras

UPDATE: It's official, Juan Orlando Hernández is the new president of Honduras.

Xiomara Castro and her hubby Mel Zelaya are screaming, as everybody knew they would, that the election was "stolen". (Sound familiar?)

Xiomara has unleashed her communist followers and they've been given the go-ahead to cause all the chaos possible in the streets. Mel Zelaya is riding around Tegucigalpa with a megaphone whipping up the crowds and urging them to riot and loot. It's pretty late here already tonight, but tomorrow should be pretty interesting.

President Juan Orlando Hernández


Xiomara followers, even with berets and red stars

daplight Loc: Kansas

Your initial description of how elections in Honduras were inspiring, but the later picture of the armed soldier with his finger on the trigger made me want to research further. It seems elections and general life in Honduras can be violent, especially with the drug gangs and cartels. What are the benefits, as an American, of living there? I'm curious.

Lmarc Loc: Ojojona, Honduras

Elections in most Central American countries have historically been violent to one degree or other. This one was especially expected to be so because of the split sentiment among the people concerning the Zelayas, and for the same reason expected to be one of the largest turnouts in Honduran history. It certainly was a huge voter turnout, but the violence did not occur, mostly due to the high security.

After the ouster of Mel Zelaya, a lot of bad factions took advantage of the ensuing chaos to entrench themselves in certain areas, thus Cortés, San Pedro Sula, and the north coastal region became hotbeds for drug gangs and other violent groups. There was/is some in Tegucigalpa, but not nearly so much as the north. The local police forces were notorious for corruption and bribery, so the drug smugglers ran roughshod over the country, killing whomever got in their way, mostly each other. Judges were bought and paid for, so when a criminal was arrested, he would be back on the street by afternoon.

The administrations of Micheletti and Lobo, with much pressure from the public, fired the head of the Policía Nacionál and installed Juan Carlos "El Tigre" Bonilla in his stead, and is the de facto head of all police in the country. Bonilla is a tough, no-nonsense guy who immediately required all police to submit to background checks, extensive interviews and polygraphs to determine their involvement in corruption. Those who failed were suddenly unemployed. This worked pretty well, but because of their historical involvement with criminals, the local police were not respected nor feared by the drug gangs and extortionists.

The government, at Bonilla's suggestion, took a huge part of the Honduran Army, trained them in police work and SWAT tactics, and made them a part of the Policía Nacionál. This has worked out quite well so far, as the drug gangs are scared crapless of them, and are lying low at this time. Every time they start crap with the army, the army wins, and hundreds of the drug criminals are now in prison in Tamara.

During this election over 30,000 soldiers were assigned as security for the polling places, in anticipation of unrest, usually fomented by the communists, not the criminals. The soldier with the rifle in the photo is one of the "good guys" to everybody except the two aforementioned groups. The soldiers are universally respectful and polite, the local police, not so much. But bribery, "la mordida", of police has nearly ceased to exist for they fear losing their jobs.

We'll see what happens today, but this morning is very quiet in Tegucigalpa, even Zelaya has shut off his megaphone and gone home. There could be a little crap from the communists, but I doubt it now. Even they don't want an armed confrontation from the Bonilla's police, but a few peaceful demonstrations are possible.

Benefits for Americans living here......hmmm....

First, outside the cities the country is drop-dead gorgeous!

Second, the people are very friendly and respectful. I've personally seen no examples of racial or ethnic discrimination, though I'm sure they have their share of bigots like anywhere else.

Third, it's economical. Right now the dollar is rising against the Lempira and is worth more every day. Depending on the lifestyle you choose, you can live here on a very small fraction of what it would cost in the US. And even less than that if you live outside the large cities.

Taxes. The US has good tax breaks on money earned in a foreign country, and Honduras does not charge taxes on money earned in the US and brought into the country. Property taxes are extremely low, and personal income taxes are mostly non-existent.

The only thing keeping Honduras from being an expatriate haven is the security situation, and hopefully Bonilla is turning that around. Most of the murders are gang and drug related, and no one is specifically targeting Americans. I'm the only American living in the barrio and I walk the street without fear. My neighbors are friendly and respectful, and I return those sentiments always.

Bonilla, "El Tigre"