Hispanic community urged to register to vote

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- National and local Hispanic leaders banded together Saturday in Houston with one goal in mind: to encourage the Hispanic community to register to vote.

It's all part of the "Todos a Votar" tour, hosted by LULAC.

Visitors to a southeast Houston neighborhood brought a reminder to Patricia Telles and her neighbors that Election Day is around the corner, and it's time to register to vote.

"I've never voted before, so this year we're planning on voting," Telles said.

Latino voter advocates were out in full force Saturday morning, walking city streets and talking about the importance of registering to vote in the November election.

"It's important for the Latino community to vote because it's their turn to get heard," registered voter Manuela Alvarado said.

Those voter advocates feel recent controversy in Texas over the passing of a state voter ID law in addition to a prolonged re-districting battle, may have Latino voters more confused than ever about the process.

"We're educating our community, making sure that they undertsand that their right to go vote is still there, and that they must register," said Baldomero Garza, LULAC national vice president for the southwest. "They must go vote."

So that's where Saturday's efforts came in: education and registration as the first steps to getting voters to the polls.

"I feel like I'm finally going to put my two cents in," Telles said.

The deadline in Texas to register to vote is October 9.

For more information, visit votetexas.gov or in Spanish at votetexas.gov/es.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

local, elissa rivas

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First full-time Hispanic judge hits new milestone

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A judge who has been in office for decades is now reaching a special milestone. He's now the longest serving elected official in Harris County.

In 1973, Judge Armando Rodriguez won his first election, and you could say he's been on a roll ever since. He is now in a league all on his own within Harris County. A black and white photos depicts a historic career in its genesis -- a young Rodriguez sworn in by then-Mayor Louie Welch as the first full-time Hispanic judge in Houston. He remembers asking his mentor, about whether he should even accept. "He got all excited, he said take it, take it. We've been wanting a Hispanic as a full-time judge," Rodriguez said. And trail blazing seemed to be his style. A couple of years later Judge Rodriguez was again, given a new appointment, this time with Harris County, as the first Hispanic judge. He has now won 10 straight elections. "This is the first swearing in as an elected official," he said as he showed us a photo. "And every four years since then, I've been fortunate enough to have the people want to keep me there," he said. With 38 years on the bench, the now senior justice of the peace of Precinct 2 keeps things simple. For Judge Rodriguez, he rules by the book, with common sense lighting the way. "It's all the objective and you hear it all the time and it's true. It's there to help the people; all we have to do is apply that and make it function that way," he said. And while the law hasn't changed all that much, with almost four decades behind him in Precinct 2, he has had to move with the times. "It took me awhile to want to use a computer rather than a typewriter," he said. "I even have a cell phone, which I fought that for while." Born and raised in Houston, with a law degree from University of Houston, the judge is now the longest serving, currently elected official in Harris County. "I've had a lot of firsts in my life, as you know and being the longest serving is an honor," he said. Judge Rodriguez has also started many programs along the way, including the Fiesta Patrias parade, and he is currently in the first year of his four-year term. When we asked him if he plans to run again, he said "that remains to be seen. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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local, erik barajas

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