LatinaLista — Charles Starkovich made national headlines this week when he just couldn’t take the rampant discrimination against Latinos in his small town of Raton, New Mexico.
It’s not that anyone was blatantly mistreating Latinos in public in this town of less than 7,000 but they were doing something equally egregious, according to Starkovich — they were denying Latinos equal representation in the local elections.
Raton practices a common electoral process known as at-large voting. However, across the country where this electoral process is still in place, it is understood that it has serious consequences for anyone who doesn’t belong in the majority.
In addition, since there are no districts, this voting systems eliminates the possibility of gerrymandering. However, because this is a winner-take-all system, at-large voting shares most of the same problems as single-member district plurality voting, including the misrepresentation of parties, manufactured majorities, low voter turnout, high levels of wasted votes, and denial of fair representation to third parties, racial minorities and women. And it may make some of these problems worse.
As in the case of Raton, New Mexico, Starkovich saw firsthand that the process did make things worse — for Latinos.
“It’s a silent form of racism,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “And it waters down voting strength of a particular class of people.”
The town’s now ex-mayor says he has steamed for years as he watched political power “stolen” from Latino residents…“My protest is over a form of government rather than discrimination over a class of people,” Starkovich said. “When it comes to big congressional races, people have one vote for the person who represents them in that area, and that’s the way it should be here in Raton. I’m trying to draw attention to an institutional at-large voting scheme that has never been challenged since the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”
Starkovich is a man with a conscience who recognizes the injustice of this particular electoral system. Because he is Anglo, the residents of his town are taking him seriously.
(Raton) City Manager Pete Kampfer told the Associated Press that he was disappointed in Starkovich’s resignation but agreed that Raton’s system discriminates against the city’s Hispanic residents.
Yet, this fight against the at-large voting system is nothing new. From Anaheim, CA to Reno, Nevada and the the whole of Washington state, Latinos and sympathizers are challenging local officials, who cling to an archaic electoral process, that knowingly excludes a good portion of an electorate.
While Starkovich has just begun his battle, some battles are finally drawing to a close.
In Farmers Branch, Texas, the city council approved this week new single-member voting districts to replace the at-large system. They didn’t pass the measure out of the goodness of their hearts but rather because after lengthy legal battles where the city was challenged a court ruled in August that the city had to do it.
“Plaintiffs have proved, under the totality of the circumstances, that Hispanics in Farmers Branch have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice,” U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater wrote.
The judge noted that Farmers Branch has a racially charged election history and that its elected officials still behave with hostility against Hispanics.
At-large voting systems, along with onerous Voter ID laws, are reminders that there are still very active forces in play that want to keep the minority vote suppressed. Until more people like Charles Starkovich dare to take a stand, this country will remain stuck in what is recognized as the ugliest part of US history — denying some of its very citizens equal rights.
Comment(24)
Roberto877
Before you crown this fool as a champion of civil rights, you should know the facts. 1. He could have selected a Hispanic for the commission but laughed at the idea. 2. He was being recalled from office for pure stupidity (to put it simply), 3. At least half the people who signed the petition to remove him are HIspanic. 4. He resigned to save face from the recall. 5. Never, while in office, did he mention a racial issue of civil rights. 6. If he really wanted to do something about racial inequality, what better platform could he have than as mayor of the city. 7. He’s stilll a total idiot
pocojuan
.@LatPoliticalAve: The bravery of one New Mexico mayor highlights ongoing voter suppression against Latinos http://t.co/5ZzAfR01
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave voter suppression against legal Hispanics or the illegals who like to vote without voter ID
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave There is no evidence of a significant amt of #illegalimmigrants voting being a problem & you know it.
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave And for the record,not all #illegalimmigrants are #Hispanics or #Latinos. #justsaying
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave no way to prove it without voter ID
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave I am aware of that but if your talking about Arizona that’s most likely
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave #Arizona is so hostile against #illegalimmigrants and/or #Hispanics I can’t imagine illegal voting happening
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave #VoterID laws are a great idea & will be fully implemented when more #citizens have gotten proper IDs.
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave Which worse? People voting illegally or #citizens being deprived of the right to vote cause they lack ids?
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave do you know why they are hostile towards illegals?
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave most states are giving the IDs away free.
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave both are terrible because they cancel out votes of ppl who should be voting
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave In some states getting those free Ids was one hell of a hassle. In #Pennsylvania,that was the case.
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave I agree but to me #disenfranchising #citizens has to be worse if for no other reason than my race’s history.
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave in PA it wasn’t that hard, libs made it seem harder than it was
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave no one is trying to do that.
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave Oh yeah,and I pretty much don’t blame them. However, I can’t go along with #racialprofiling to get illegals.
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave Apparently the judge who suspended the VoterID law disagreed. He felt it was too hard for some folks.
WebAntOnYouTube
@StevenDavisJr @latpoliticalave I have to disagree in light of a preponderance of stories I’ve read concerning #Conservatives this year.
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave how is it racial profiling if you pull then over for another infraction and then find out they are illlega
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave he felt there was not enough time. The law is still on the books for the next election after 2012
StevenDavisJr
@WebAntOnYouTube @latpoliticalave conservatives want no voter fraud so they passed voter ID laws and gave away free IDs
RogerRael
Roger Rael, a resident and activist, was at a city council meeting in Raton, New Mexico on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 and was not permitted to speak. Mind you that the city council meetings in Raton fall under the Open Meetings Act other wise known as the Sunshine Laws. These laws give the public the right to attend certin city meetings and speak to the commission. A clear and obvious example of the first Amendement at work.
Starkovich and City Manager Peter Kampfer refused to allow Roger Rael his right under the constitution of the United States of America to redress the goverment of his grievence. A clear violation of the 1st Amendment. Then the commision reads an order of tresspass banning Rael from future city council meetings. Violation of the 14th Amendment. Starkovich needs to learn about the Constitution before he thinks about forming a Brown Beret Chapter.
Where in the world does this guy think he is speaking up for the Latino. This coconut is out of his freaking mind.