Hondurans in Los Angeles prepare to vote in presidential election

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Members of the Los Angeles-area electoral board that will oversee local voting in the Nov. 29 Honduran presidential election have been sworn in by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Honduras. There are 10 people on the board, with representatives from six Honduran political parties.

“We’re working to organize the entire election process in Los Angeles,” said Zulma Gutierrez, president of the board and a member of the Christian Democratic Party. “Currently we’re passing out ID cards to people who applied for them more than two months ago.’

The tribunal gave the board 1,029 identification cards for the upcoming election. Gutierrez said Hondurans are particularly interested in voting in this election ‘because they want change.”

Honduran national Noemi Xiomara Sabillon, who came to the board’s office in downtown Los Angeles to pick up her registration card, said, “I’m very happy to have this because ... it gives me a voice in my country. We need to return peace and democracy to Honduras.”

The Central American country has been plagued by unrest since the June 28 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Polling places in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Orleans and Washington will be open to Hondurans registered to vote.

--Paula Diaz/HOY

To read the full story in Spanish this Friday, visit http://www.vivelohoy.com/losangeles