'Count every vote' march, rally held in Austin one day after election

AUSTIN, Texas — A day after poll closed with votes still be tallied, demonstrators from groups like Indivisible Austin, AFL CIO and Austin Justice Coalition held a march and rally from Wooldridge Park to the Capitol and back.

Demonstrators chanted “Count every vote” as they marched through downtown.

”This is the reason why I became a citizen, because I wanted to vote and I wanted to make sure my vote is counted,” said Montserrat Garibay, a second time voter as a US Citizen who was also a poll workers on Election Day.

Despite record voter turnouts in Texas, many demonstrators recognize candidates with progressive values under performed in Texas this election Cycle. For some, especially marginalized communities and minorities, that leads to fear of continued unemployment due to the pandemic and lack of COVID relief could continue. Indivisible Austin Board President Sarah Clef said ”American Democracy is participatory.”

”We’re not realizing democracy until we have full, 100% voter participation. We need to continue to build turnout,” she said.

Sitting socially distanced on the lawn, most everyone in a mask at Wooldridge Park - Austin Justice Coalition shared a message of action that just because you cast a ballot – doesn’t mean the work is over.

”No longer can we sit on the sideline and think the players that we voted in to represent us is good enough. We have to coach them through,” said Chas Moore, Executive Director for AJC.

During the rally, former Vice President Joe Biden secured electoral votes from critical swing states in Michigan and narrowly in Wisconsin.

Moore was optimistic about Biden winning but mentioned Biden’s involvement in the 1994 crime bill that critics says lead to mass incarceration in the 90s. Moore says they’ll have to fight to see their values come to a reality - like the president is already doing.

”(President Trump) said multiple times that he’s not leaving, we might see the first attempt at dictatorship in this country,” said Moore.

Unlike the Women’s March, which was also held at Wooldridge Park weeks before the election, there were no opposition groups at the rally on Tuesday.