188 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 12 



or talked together in small groups, local leaders 

 making a final appeal to acquaintances to show 

 their friendship, "good sense" and "love of the 

 village" by voting as suggested. Preparations for 

 both barbecues were under way (pi. 19, e). A 

 group of women, with small children in their arms, 

 had already gathered at the village registry of- 

 fice, where the voting was to take place, so as to 

 cast their votes early and "be free to get dinner," 

 as one of them said. 



Few people were present at the barbecue of the 

 party unsupported by most of the local inhabi- 

 tants. At the other barbecue, however, a large 

 crowd had gathered by 8 o'clock in the morning 

 and continued to mill about until 1 o'clock in the 

 afternoon. Twelve arrobas, or about 380 pounds 

 of meat were consumed. Since those who had 

 come into the village from distant sitios would 

 have to be away a considerable part of the day 

 and there ordinarily is no provision for obtaining 

 food in the village other than that available at the 

 stores, all of which were closed on this day, a 

 barbecue is a means of developing considerable 

 good will for the party responsible. The conver- 

 sation was almost entirely given over to discussing 

 the merits of the respective candidates. 



In the meantime, a village official had taken up 

 a position in the principal road leading into the 

 village. To each person, or group of persons, 

 coming into the village, he remarked, "By chance, 

 do you have a weapon with you? I'm here to 

 warn you that the soldado is searching everyone 

 that comes into the village and taking away his 

 weapon. If you go in with one, you'll lose it." 

 "Many people thanked me," the official remarked, 

 later, to a friend, "and pretty soon I had a pile of 

 knives and two gari'uchas. I also asked if they 

 had their cedulas^°^ with them. If they had a 

 cedilla for some other candidate, I often got them 

 to exchange it for one of ours." Similar activity 

 was occurring on the other roads. 



In the village, other woi-kers for each party 

 passed among groups of people, asking if they had 

 their cedulas ready and, when a voter showed one 

 of the opposite party, attempted to get him to 

 exchange it. Expressions on the faces of the 

 leaders of the majority party, as well as their other 



'" Voting is accomplished by putting in the ballot box a piece 

 of paper, called a ciUlula, on which the name of the candidate (or 

 candidates) voted for, has been printed. 



gestures, reflected positive certainty in a local ' 

 victory for their candidates. 



Up until about 11 o'clock, most of the voters 

 were women; from that time on, men predomi- 

 nated. Shortly before 6 o'clock, all had voted. Of 

 a total of 316 eligible voters in the distrito, 239, or 

 approximately three-fourths (75.6 percent) had 

 exercised their suffrage. The distribution by sex 

 was as follows : 



Klifjible Actual voters 



voters No, Pet. 



Men 223 159 71.3 



Women 93 80 86.0 



Total 316 239 75.6 



The following account of the election, given by 

 a young farmer, reveals the ideas, attitudes, and 

 behavior associated with this experience, especially 

 on the part of the younger men. 



When I went to the village on Saturday, everyone was 

 talking politics. Another soldado had been sent to help 

 the one in the village, in case there was any trouble. I 

 wanted to go up in time the next morning to see the polls 

 open ; but they open so early and, since it was Sunday, I 

 slept later than usual. It was 8 o'clock when 1 and my 

 brother left home. On the way, we met Fernando (the 

 village official mentioned above) and I let him have my 

 knife. When we got to the village, a soldado was standing 

 in the middle of the road. As we came up, he asked if I 

 had a weapon with me and 1 said "No." I turned out of 

 the way a little and walked around him and didn't stop 

 to let him search me. I don't think the soldado liked it 

 at all. I noticed, though, that many other people were 

 doing the same thing. Only fools let themselves be 

 searched. 



In the village there was a lot of excitement. All the 

 leaders were there, with big smiles on their faces, greet- 

 ing everyone and asking them to vote for their candidates. 

 I went to the voting place. It was packed. I then went 

 to Mass. When I came out, a friend told me that there 

 were two barbecues being held. I thought that was fine. 

 There were so many people at the barbecue which our 

 party gave, that there hardly was enough beef to go 

 around. I had a piece, and it was very good. 



The selling of liquor is prohibited, j'ou know, on elec- 

 tion day. That's pretty hard on those who are used to 

 taking a drink or two now and then. 



The morning passed without anything very exciting. 

 But, about half past twelve, when I, one of my cousins 

 and a friend were in front of the church talking, Paulo 

 came up the street from his house. Just as he passed us, 

 someone standing near the corner who doesn't like Paulo 

 and his candidates any better than we do, yelled at him, 

 "Vejain o chnrrasco de hoi henxento! 6 churrasco chato! 

 i Did you see the barbecue with beef that's full of bcnic! ^ 



' See Wildlife, p. 21. 



