Study: Hispanics don't vote in RGV due to corruption, disconnect with candidates, lack of discourse

AUSTIN, Texas - The historically lower voter turnout levels in the Rio Grande Valley can be put down, in part, to Hispanics being disillusioned by public corruption.Other reasons include a lack of competitive elections caused by one party domination, very little public discourse on issues, and a high level of poverty.These are the conclusions contained in a study of attitudes towards voting by Hispanics in Texas. The study, conducted for the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), included interviews with Hispanics in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso and the Valley.On a webinar, Dr. Cecilia Balli, a journalist, researcher and anthropologist, said the study found some unique findings in the Valley. The webinar, titled 2020 Election & the Texas Latino Vote, was hosted by the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC).“In the Rio Grande Valley we had a discourse, several discourses, that emerged very strongly around local political culture. We were very concerned after having done interviews in the Valley - and I am from the Valley, I am from Brownsville,” Balli said.“I think a lot of you can relate to these findings. It was interesting to us how prevalent it came up in almost every conversation. A sense that politics are controlled by very few people. That because there isn’t competition between the parties, real competition, because it is controlled by Democrats, there is very little discussion of issues or platforms.”Instead of campaigns being dominated by a discussion on issues or platforms, in the Valley, candidates largely run on their name, their photo, and how well they are known, Balli explained.“High levels of public corruption across the board, from school districts to judicial offices. And then all of that combined with extreme poverty, makes a lot of people doubt that they can make a difference by voting. They have stayed focused, some of them, on what they can control more immediately,” Balli said.“I think the region also feels neglected and forgotten by people in Austin and Washington.”Editor's Note: The full story can be found in the Rio Grande Guardian. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.