Voting Issues Conference - Nashville TN, April 8-10

[hippiechick]

I think this is an excellent opportunity for those of us looking to make some change here in Indiana, to meet some folks who're already involved and find out some do's/don'ts/shortcuts/obstacles/etc.

PM Voltaire if you're interested - maybe we can get a carpool or caravan going.

GATHERING TO SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY
A NATIONAL CONFERENCE
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, APRIL 8-10, 2005

Since November 3, 2004, there has been a groundswell of concern, and a plethora of evidence, that the conduct of the 2004 Presidential election in the United States was highly problematic. These concerns have been belittled by many and ignored by the corporate media in this country. However, the weight of the evidence is overwhelming that a multi-faceted strategy of voter intimidation and disenfranchisement, potential manipulation of electronically cast votes in many states, and other instances of election fraud and theft improperly influenced the will of the American people and may have subverted the "consent of the governed". This evidence was sufficient to have stimulated the Government Accountability Office and U.S. Representative John Conyers and other national leaders to investigate the evidence of wrong-doing. This evidence also caused the U.S. Congress to suspend their routine business and to debate the merits of accepting Ohio's electoral votes on January 6, 2005, a historic occasion that highlighted the many problems in Ohio and also served to shed light on similar problems in other states. With this Congressional debate, the American people's responsibility to win back our democratic process was enumerated and enjoined.

This conference will be a comprehensive and historic event that will bring together the "major players" who have surfaced in the dialogue over the problems with the 2004 election and the need for election reform. We also anticipate that the conference will be a gathering place for the many concerned citizens throughout the nation and the world who are intent on preserving democracies. We hope that this conference will help break the media silence about the problems with the 2004 election within our country and provide a forum for increasing the world's attention to our threatened democratic principles. In addition, we will hold discussion sessions before and after the conference to exchange ideas and build coalitions to pursue the necessary elements of election reform and to redress our concerns with the 2004 election

The conference registration fee is $30 (with exceptions for hardships), and will cover all conference-related activities. Please review the tentative conference agenda, complete the conference registration form and register using PayPal. (People who cannot attend the conference but who would like to support the conference by making a donation can do so using PayPal also.) We will send you the final conference agenda and other details one week prior to the conference. Please contact Bernard Ellis, Jr., MA, MPH (931/682-2864; [e-mail] ) for more information on the conference.


CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Bernard Ellis, Gathering To Save Our Democracy
Dr. Tommie Morton-Young, Dr. Sonnye Dixon, Dr. Charles Kimbrough
Cliff Arnebeck, Moss v. Bush
Bob Fitrakis, Moss v. Bush, www.freepress.org
R.H. Phillips, Ohio election fraud researcher
Joanne Roush, Ohio recount volunteer
Bernard Windham, Election Incident Reporting System
Judith Alter, New Mexico
Paul Lehto, Washington state
John Gideon, votersunite.org
Kathy Dopp, USCountVotes
Jonathan Simon, exit poll researcher
Brad Friedman, BradBlog/Velvet Revolution
Democratic Underground spokesman wonder who it is ??

David Cobb, Presidential candidate, Green Party
Lara Schaffer, Verified Voting Consortium
Susan Truitt, CASE-America
Phil Fry, CASE-Ohio
Larry Quick, National Ballot Integrity Project
Teresa Hommel, Where's The Paper
Larry English, Information Impact Intl
David Lytel, Honest Elections Campaign
Clinton Curtis, Whistle-Blower
(and many more)


The conference itself will run in Nashville from 5:00 pm Friday, April 8 until 6:00 pm, Saturday, April 9. However, we are also scheduling pre-conference (early Friday afternoon) and post-conference (Sunday morning) discussion groups on topics of interest to the election reform and election justice movement. Topics will include:

1. Worthy (or emerging) state-level election reform models
2. Conducting an election audit: what is required?
3. Be the media: Strategies for increasing public awareness of election reform
4. A status report on Tennessee's election reform legislation
5. Essential elements of a free, fair and verifiable election
6. Thinking & Acting for the Country: National Election Reform Strategies & Movements
7. Election Statistics 301 - An even more detailed review of the "data"
8. Electronic voting - the good, the bad and the really bad (and what to do about it)

[Voltaire]

1. They will be putting out registration forms in a couple days

I know its short notice, folks, but I think we can mine some good info down there.

[hippiechick]

2. Wake up, Hoosiers ... this is your chance to stop that freight train

Really, getting involved doesn't hurt at all !
It actually kinda feels GOOD to get your head fulla knowledge and take a stand for something !

And if nothing else, it's a weekend away from here and in the company of some pretty cool folks !

:evilgrin:

[Voltaire]

3. More info here

check this site www.freepress.org/conf.php for registration to the conference or a donation for the same. I did not find details about where exactly in Nashville its going to be, I will ask and get back to anyone interested.