DU ACTION ALERT! Do you want Dems to win in 2006? READ THIS

[helderheid]

Two important action items need your attention.

1) RIGHT NOW. Email C-SPAN at [e-mail] and request that they cover the Senate Rules and Administration Committee Hearing on Voter Verification in the Federal Elections Process. http://rules.senate.gov/hearings/2005/062105_hearing.htm
Tuesday, June 21, 2004
10:00 a.m. (ET)
SR-301, Russell Senate Office Building

This is the first time the topic of vvpat has had a formal hearing in Congress!!
Scheduled witnesses include David Dill, Jim Dickson, Ted Selker, and Connie McCormack.

2) THIS WEEK. Ask your county election director a question.
This summer county, state, and national elections officials will be heading to Hollywood and Beverly Hills to enjoy four days of fun and sun sponsored, in part, by their friends at Diebold, Sequoia and ES&S. Yes, that's right. Diebold is co-sponsoring the "Welcome Reception"; ES&S is co-sponsoring the "Graduation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony" and Sequoia is co-sponsoring a Thursday evening dinner and dance.

This gathering is NOT a weekend or even a long weekend. This gathering is done during the work week while those officials are being paid by their counties or states, that is, the tax payer. So while they are on the clock, being paid by us, they will be enjoying the hospitality of the voting machine vendors who will be plying them with misinformation and free meals, snacks, and drink.

The list of speakers at this event is stunning in its absurdity. There is no one to speak the truth about voter verified paper ballots. Instead our elections officials who attend will get to hear from ousted Palm Beach Director of Elections Theresa LePore. Attendees will get to hear about "Challenged Elections and Recounts" from the King County, Washington Auditor whose county's elections were woefully mismanaged in November.

Many states have made it illegal for any elected official or employee to receive ANY gifts from vendors. Are any employees of your county elections office, or your county elections director, going to attend this corporate sponsored gathering? Send them an email asking. Let them know you think it's a conflict of interest. Include their bosses, county commissioners, and/or state elections directors, in the email so everyone knows what will be going on. Let the media know that this event is a potential ethics problem.

The schedule of events is below.

Thanks,
~ The VotersUnite.Org team
--------------------------------------------------

***Tentative SCHEDULE OF EVENTS***

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

8:00-9:00 Class Registration--(Separate Registration For Classes Required)

9:00-4:30 Class #11— History I Instructor: Steve Brown, Ph.D.
Class #12—History II Instructor: Robert Montjoy, Ph.D.
Class #14—Crisis Management in Voter Registration and Elections
Instructor: Keenan Grenell, Ph.D.
Class #18—Conflict Management in Voter Registration and Elections
Instructor: Christa Slaton, Ph.D.

12:00-1:30—Lunch (Students only)

Wednesday, August 10, 2005
8:00- 11:00— Courses #11, #12, #14 and #18 Continued
1:00-5:00 Committee Meetings Others TBA
1:00-5:00 Educational Exhibit Area Open
3:00-4:00 Elections Legislative Committee
4:00-8:00 Registration Desk Open
6:00-7:30 Welcome Reception
Co-Sponsored by: Diebold Election Systems

Thursday, August 11, 2005
8:00-5:00 Registration Desk Open
8:30-9:00 Continental Breakfast
8:00-5:00 Educational Exhibit Area Open

9:00-9:30 Welcome/Announcements
*Conny McCormack,
Los Angeles County Registrar-Clerk-Recorder
*Doug Lewis, CERA,
Executive Director, The Election Center
*Ernest Hawkins,
CERA, Program Chair, The Election Center

9:30-10:30— Help America Vote Act
Guidelines for Voting System Standards
*Commissioner Ray Martinez,
Election Assistance Commission (invited)
*Someone from NIST (TBA)

10:30-11:00— Educational Exhibits/Break

11:00-12:00— Election Assistance Commission
Discussion of Projects and Activities
*Commissioner Ray Martinez,
Election Assistance Commission (invited)

12:00-12:30—National Voter Registration and Elections News
*Dick Smolka, Publisher, Election Administration Reports

12:30-2:00— No-host lunch

2:00-2:05 Ethical Dilemma Presentation
*Debra Blanton, CERA,
Chair Standards and Ethics, The Election Center

2:05-3:30 Professional Practices Presentations “and the winner is…”
*Janis Womack, CERA,
Best Practices Chair, The Election Center

3:30-4:00 Educational Exhibits/Break

4:00-4:30 Voter Registration and Elections Legislation
*Beverly Kaufman, CERA
*Ron Chaney
Co Chairs, The Election Center’s Legislative Committee

4:30-5:30 Educational Exhibits

7:00-10:00— Dinner/dance
Co-Sponsored by: Sequoia Voting Systems

Friday, August 12, 2005
8:00-3:00 Registration Desk Open
8:00-12:00—Educational Exhibit Area Open
8:30-9:00 —Continental Breakfast

9:00-10:15—Concurrent Discussion Groups
Breakout #1—Ethical Dilemma Discussion
*Debra Blanton, CERA, Chair Standards and Ethics,
The Election Center
Breakout #2—Election Reform Task Report
*Kevin Kennedy, CERA, Executive Director,
Wisconsin Board of Elections
Breakout #3—Vote Centers
*Scott Doyle, Larimer County Clerk and Recorder
Breakout #4—Challenged Elections and Recounts
*Dean Logan, CERA, King County Elections Director

10:15-10:45—Educational Exhibits/Break
10:45-12:30—Concurrent Discussion Groups
Breakout #1—State Certification Programs
*Tom Wilkey, Former Executive Director, New York State
Board of Elections
Breakout #2— Provisional Ballots
*Keith Cunningham, Allen County Director of Elections
Breakout #3—Early (Advance) Voting
*Kathy Rogers, CERA, Georgia Director of Elections
Breakout #4— Outreach
*Theresa LePore, Former Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections

12:30-2:30 — Graduation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony
Sponsored by: ES &S

2:30-4:45 Concurrent Discussion Groups
Breakout #1— Using Statewide Voter Data Bases
*Brian Mouty, Colorado HAVA Project Manager
Breakout #2— How to Become a Certified Elections
Registration Administrator (CERA)
*TBA
Breakout #3—Voter Registration “Bounty Hunters”
*Patricia Hollarn,
CERA, Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections
Breakout #4— Providing for Independent Voting for Blind Voters
and those with Disabilities
*Jill Lavine, CERA, Sacramento County Registrar of Voters

[helderheid]

1. If we want to win in 2006

We best get on this brothers and sisters!!

[helderheid]

2. we did this for Conyers

We can do it again

[ck4829]

3. Kick

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. I just emailed C-SPAN!

and will email my county election director. :kick:

[helderheid]

5. Good on ya and

thank you!

[helderheid]

6. I'm getting bummed

that people find other things more important that verified voting right now, but I understand. How do I make this thread sexy?? :)

[helderheid]

7. final plea

I am internet outreach coordinator for my State Progressive Caucus - I am sending this action alert to my list, along with the contact info for those county clerks in my state. I hope that if you have such a list you can pass this onto , you will.

[annabanana]

8. my letter to my Bd of Elections:

(with copies to my County Executive (a Dem) and our Local paper!)

Dear Mr.’s _______ and _____,

It has come to my attention that there is an “Event” in Beverly Hills and Hollywood this summer on August 9th through August 12th. This is a Tuesday through Friday event, hence a workweek and ostensibly during working hours.

This event is being sponsored by Deibold, Sequoia and ES&S, the three biggest manufacturers of electronic voting machines in the Country, therefore it is apparently a significant “conflict of interest” for you to receive any funds, tickets, room & board or any other gifts involved in attending.

These three companies encourage the use of machines that generate no paper ballot, no verifiable paper records and no means of carrying out an accurate re-count. Their results are centrally tabulated and demonstrably “hackable” and the software is proprietary. The owners of Deibold and ES&S are brothers, and very politically involved on behalf of a single party.

Residents of this County would be interested to know if you plan on attending this series of “seminars”.



Looking forward to your response,

[helderheid]

10. May I "borrow" this??

I'd like to send the same to mine if you don't mind. I assume you aren't in Utah!!:)

[annabanana]

11. Help Yourself!..... ANYone! Please feel free!

(except in Nassau County NY, I got dibs on this letter for there..
write yer own)

[helderheid]

12. Thanks!! I believe i will borrow it... :)

[helderheid]

13. Done! Thank you! You misspelled Diebold though...

just a heads up!

[annabanana]

16. oops thanx

[Maestro]

14. Great letter -nt

[frictionlessO]

9. Reco'd! More people need to do this! C'mon folks its only a minute

or two of your time to save democracy.

[helderheid]

15. sent the following to c-span

Hi!

I am becoming quite the fan of C-Span - I hope you'll cover the following
event:

Senate Rules and Administration Committee Hearing on Voter Verification
in the Federal Elections Process. http://rules.senate
gov/hearings/2005/062105_heari ng.htm
Tuesday, June 21, 2004
10:00 a.m. (ET)
SR-301, Russell Senate Office Building

Thank you!