All elections are held on the same four-year cycle. Rallies are held. Meetings are conducted in the barrios. Loudspeakers can be heard blaring political themes. Voting is considered the ultimate civic duty.
Election day is a virtual holiday.
Of course the difference on the island is that Puerto Ricans are voting for their own and there is no language or cultural barrier. You go to Puerto Rico during election time, it's a big deal. Education, inadequate housing, and jobs remain central problems in the neighborhoods. I am convinced that you'll see more and more Latinos running for office,'' said Fernando Betancourt, executive director of the state Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission. As I said in a December column, Latinos no longer have to wait for a seat at the power brokers' table.