CAVA establishes San Benito chapter

Downtown headquarters Ben Cortez is seen Monday inside the San Benito headquarters of the Citizens Against Voter Abuse, the Vega Professional Building located downtown Sam Houston Boulevard. (Staff photo by Jacob Lopez)

Downtown headquarters
Ben Cortez is seen Monday inside the San Benito headquarters of the Citizens Against Voter Abuse, the Vega Professional Building located downtown Sam Houston Boulevard. (Staff photo by Jacob Lopez)

By JACOB LOPEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Citizens Against Voter Abuse (CAVA) hopes to put an end to unlawful voting practices Valley-wide, and now those efforts have been centralized in San Benito as well.

Through the work of volunteers, trained poll watchers and whistleblowers, the group wants to ensure that voter fraud does not plague San Benito elections.

According to Ben Cortez, who is leading CAVA’s efforts in San Benito, being labeled a “troublemaker” by some comes with the territory, but he stands strongly by this statement: “I’m only trying to find the truth with documentation.”

Cortez said that many times, accusations are brought to his attention, prompting him to request information from public institutions that hold elections to determine whether they were conducted fairly.

He said that CAVA hopes to implement trained poll watchers at all ballot locations.

“We’re working on having classes to train poll watchers, and hopefully we’re going to outline precincts … we need poll watchers here; we need poll watchers there,” he said, adding that the organization is bipartisan and endorses no candidates.

“Poll watchers will make sure that the signatures match the ID,” said Cortez, further adding, “People come to us, and it’s not just me, several people are involved.”

Citizens Against Voter Abuse will meet at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month at the Vega Professional Building on Sam Houston Boulevard, beginning in December.

Cortez said that anyone who is interested in becoming a poll watcher, or to join CAVA’s San Benito chapter, can attend the meetings.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2014/11/18/cava-establishes-san-benito-chapter/

3 comments

    • Anna Buenrostro on September 5, 2022 at 12:21 pm
    • Reply

    I believe there is more wrong doing in city offices than there is at Poll sites! I have work at all the elections as a presiding Judge and am rather offended by saying there is fraud committed! We sign oaths and are trained and take courses by the state everything is handled properly! Some of y’all should start working for the elections so you can understand! Cameron County Elections In Brownsville if you’re interested!

  1. I applaud CAVA SB support group for trying to help clean the voter corruption in our town. We need our tax payers and voters to be made aware of their voter rights being violated, and something needs to be about it. Hopefully CAVA will bring a little integrity back to our politics in San Benito and the candidates that the people want will get elected! 2015 can’t come fast enough!!!! Ana Cruz must GO!!!!

    • CAASCLOSB on November 19, 2014 at 8:36 am
    • Reply

    They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I can’t help but think of the frequent sight of Mr. Cortez sitting down with the likes of Chuy Aguilera and other “similar” citizens of the community at different places around town.

    Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (I Corinthians 15:33 NIV)

    Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. (Proverbs 13:20 NIV)

    CAASCLOSB
    Citizens Against Abusive So Called Leaders Of San Benito

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