SOS -- need ideas to mobilize our local grassroots movement for reform

[AtLiberty]

I'm part of a growing group in our Illinois community who wish to fight for meaningful election reform. Because state and county exit polls closely matched the outcome in 2004, we have no blatant reason to believe that there was election fraud...yet. Our county spent millions on shiny new Diebold opti-scan machinery and we're well aware that fraud can take place. Also, we *get* that just because there was no obvious fraud here, that it doesn't affect us when it occurs elsewhere...

We're informed. We've got our pitchforks. Now what?

Is there a model anywhere to help us mobilize? A helpful website? Should we latch onto a bigger group and, if so, which group? What assignments should we give our group beyond the usual letter-writing and spreading the word to friends and relatives? How do we make a real difference? We're meeting again soon and need to have a clear course of action.

Most in this group have never been part of any grassroots movement...most haven't been involved in politics beyond writing checks and displaying bumper stickers and yard signs. They're leaving their comfort zones, which is a major step.

[LosinIt]

1. Democracy for AmericA

but I don't know how involved in election reform they are these days, been out of touch due to back surgery.

[AtLiberty]

3. Thanks!

[Wilms]

2. Hope these will help

DUERS: THE FIVE-STAR ACTIVISTS' RESOURCE THREAD, UPDATED
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=8816


Empathy Training for Liberals: A Primer on the Conservative Mind, From the Inside of One.
http://www.chuckherrin.com/LiberalEmpathy.htm


The Strategic Framing Overview
http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/projects/strategic/framing


DU Links:
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/links/pages/Government/

[AtLiberty]

4. Thanks!

The program on kpfa.org just mentioned that the Oakland/Santa Monica teach-in handout is available on Solarbus.org.

GaryBeck, can you provide the link?

[emlev]

10. Here's the link to the action tasks page on solarbus

http://www.solarbus.org/election/action-tasks.shtml

I've emailed garybeck and asked him to link to it from their main page. When that happens, I want to announce its existence in a thread of its own.

[Peace Patriot]

5. Well, I would say, first of all, get informed about the specifics in...

...your state. That's what I'm doing in Calif. It's interesting that, during the election, I wasn't worried about Calif. I figured we'd have a fairly honest vote here, cuz we have a good SoS, who decertified and sued Diebold, and provided Californians with a paper ballot option last summer. I was more worried about Ohio, FLA, etc.

Boy, I had no idea how deep the problems go here. Guess what our good SoS got for his trouble? He just got ridden out of town on a rail.

By DEMOCRATS! In particular, by the LA County elections chief, Connie McCormack, who is a DEMOCRATIC pro-Diebold, anti-paper trail, zealot.

Ye gods.

I've no doubt that the Bush Cartel is ultimately behind it. Can't have honest SoS's. They destroyed the guy. It was sickening.

So get to know what's what, and who's who. And who may need PROTECTION, or SUPPORT. (The Shelley thing happened so fast, there was no way to fight back, and no way to save him that I could see. Concerted attack by the lapdog media, major Democrats whom I will never trust again on any matter--McCormack, and Don Perata and Gloria Romero in the CA Senate--and Schwarz operatives.)

Also, I (and others) strongly suspect that the Bush Cartel stole votes all over the country--to manufacture and pad Bush's popular vote. I've seen some stats on CA that may indicate this here. No state is immune.

Are your votes counted using secret, proprietary programming software?

Do you have VVPB that takes precedence over the electronic tally in any recount?

Random recounts and audits?

I suppose you know all this. Just saying--look at the specifics in Ill., and don't take anything or anyone for granted.

Then it will be easier for your group to vet any bigger groups you might want to become allied with. There's one group in CA, for instance, that I've been kind of watching because of corporate ties, and because they actually "promote" technology in gov't. But they say all the right things about e-voting, AND supported Shelley.

But that's the kind of thing I mean. Be careful who you associate with. KNOW who you are associating with.

That could be the agenda for your next meeting--assignments for information gathering (unless people in your group know all this already).

Another assignment question: What are the mechanisms for (and who has power over) CHANGING election rules? Where is the best place to put pressure (on whom)? And what kind of pressure? How to do it?

We now have a situation in Calif. where Schwarz has nominated a new SoS, a Republican. (Shelley was forced to resign over trumped up charges.) So we pretty much know what needs to be done next--vetting this new guy, participating in the hearings on his nomination, pressuring the Legislators. Trying to protect and expand on Shelley's reforms. We have a Dem majority, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Dems can be just as dirty on e-voting as BushCons, apparently.

End of advice. Got to get busy in Calif. Things are not well here.

[AtLiberty]

8. Merci, Peace...

Good points!

[emlev]

6. Great ideas, Peace Patriot. Here are some other thoughts

Getting the word out as broadly as possible is an important early goal.

The folks who put together yesterday's teach-in in Oakland, CA are fielding requests from other communities to help them put on teach-ins, and they're putting together a kit to help groups do teach-ins in their own communities. The teach-in was videotaped and will soon be available on DVD and VHS Email [e-mail] for more info. Using this videotaped material would allow you to get one or two live speakers and show some videotaped stuff.

There are also great handouts from the conference that can be used to create educational events. Contact Wellstone Renewal Democratic Club at democraticnrenewal.us, or Mainstreet Moms Operation Blue (The MMOb) at themmob.com.

For the teach-in I put together a list of specific current volunteer needs of eight different election juxtice/electino reform organizations. This is posted on solarbus at
http://www.solarbus.org/election/action-tasks.shtml
and garybeck and I intend to expand on it and keep it updated. Doing these tasks would be a way for folks in your group to get a sense of other organizations and who you want to work with. So much of the work is done via the web that it doesn't really matter where you're located.

One thing I think is very important as you get started is that you take a look at whether or not the diversity in your group represents your community. If it doesn't, get to work on that right away. If you form a group that's all or nearly all white, for example, you'll set it up in ways white people are comfortable with, and it likely won't feel welcoming to people of color. Make connections in your communities.

And keep asking for help on DU!

Oh--one other thing. I'm available to lead workshops--including via conference call--on helping people get involved in social change. Please see my website: http://www.juiceforjustice.com.

[AtLiberty]

7. Thanks, Emily --

Fundraising is on the list at solarbus. There are a number of groups asking for funds...which organization/s do you recommend?

[emlev]

9. Funding recommendations

These are the three groups that I'm aware of that have the most pressing and timely funding needs. I'd recommend any or all of them:

-U.S. Count Votes (uscountvotes.org.)
They're putting together a national database of all election data from all races from all years to allow for easy access for statistical analysis. They're the folks who just did the great report refuting Edison/Mitofsky's claim that the reason the exit polls were "off" (they weren't) is because Bush voters were reluctant to respond to the polls. USCV is a brand new organization that needs money for basic operating expenses. They've already done another great thing, which is provide the statistical analysis that led New Mexico to decide to stop using some of the horrid electronic voting machines.

-The four Ohio attorneys who are defending themselves against sanctions by the State of Ohio for filing a "frivolous" lawsuit (Moss v. Bush) The four are Cliff Arnebeck, Bob Fitrakis, Susan Truitt and Peter Peckarsky. Their suit was a brave and really important thing, and they're now being punished for it. If the sanctions go through they'll face big fines for trying to protect democracy. But even now they need money for their defense. The sanctions are a "slap suit" designed to punish them and keep them too busy to do their other work pursuing election justice. These folks are heroes! (Donate via freepress.org)

The Open Voting Consortium (openvotingconsortium.org) is a group that's designed and is trying to promote an electronic voting system that they believe is HAVA-compliant and fraudproof. If they can get some funding for the short term, they should be able to qualify for some of the HAVA money available and not need ongoing public support. Kathy Dopp, director (I think that's her title) of USCountVotes, considers the OVC system to be the "gold standard." The group is a bunch of computer geeks who set out to come up with a system that would be publicly controlled, have open source software, and provide the benefits of e-voting without the huge hazards of the Diebold, ES&S, Sequoia (etc.) machines.

All three of these groups would be great beneficiaries of any fundraising you choose to do. Thanks for asking!

[AtLiberty]

13. Thanks, Emily!

[emlev]

11. correction to email addy above

For the VHS/DVD versions of the Oakland teach-in, the correct email address is [e-mail]

Should have stayed in that typing class long enough to learn the top row!

[AtLiberty]

12. Oops! I have a typo in my into -- sorry!

"Also, we *get* that just because there was no obvious fraud here, that it doesn't affect us when it occurs elsewhere..."

We realize that it DOES affect us!