Patricia Guadalupe Columnist

In anticipation to the elections that approach, both candidates for the presidency of the country are doing a very strong effort to obtain votes, and take part in a series of mítines throughout the country, including in for what one waits be one of the centers of the electoral battle: the nearby state of Virginia.

The republican John McCain (together with his candidate to the vicepresidency, Sarah Palin) and his relatives have spent a lot of time in Virginia. Equally, his democratic rival, senator Barack Obama. McCain has concentrated in the north of the state – a considered part more favorable to the democrats - while Obama and his team have walked on the regions where the republican party is stronger. In fact, a few days ago the democratic candidate was in the University James Madison, in Harrisonburg, and the last time that a candidate for the presidency presented to himself in this republican area of the state was more than one century ago, when Stephen Douglas, a rival of the president Abraham Lincoln, visited the area in search of votes equally to as they do it nowadays. Meanwhile, a group who advocates the minority groups rights there is I demand the state of Virginia, saying that the state is not sufficiently prepared for the persons' avalanche for that they will vote next Tuesday.

The NAACP says that this should affect the participation of the minorities, including the increasing number of Hispanic voters, because many people would be voting for the first time and the state does not have the aptitude to assure that there should no be problems. But the governor of the state, Tim Kaine, makes sure that yes they are prepared and that they have hired more personal and have available more places where to vote to diminish the waiting. The officials recommend the voters to come in the less journeyed hours, as between 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or of 2 to 5:00 p.m. They make sure anyhow that if they are in line on having closed the urns, they will be able to vote (in Virginia they will close at 7:00 p.m., and in Maryland and the city of Washington at 8:00 p.m). . In Virginia one needs that they take some type of identification when they present before themselves to vote, but in Maryland and the city of Washington it is not necessary, unless they are voting for the first time. Despite any disadvantage that could happen, vote is one of the fundamental beginning of a democracy. One does not forget that his vote yes counts and make be listened.