Unitarian Universalists for Verified
Voting
We call witness to the need for election
integrity in our democracy,
and the use of voting equipment that
enables public oversight
and verification of the ballots cast and
the final tallies.
Action of
Immediate Witness -- Electronic Voting
UUA web site for voting
issues
Learn More about Verified
Voting:
Find Groups
to Work With in your State
Ten
Steps if Electronic Systems Are Used
Call to Action
12/6/04 The election of 11/2/04 was NOT
fully verifiable. Secrecy of procedures in many jurisdictions, in combination
with the use of unverifiable computerized voting systems, threaten the legitimacy of our democracy.
-- Problems with the Nov.
2 elections, http://www.votersunite.org/electionproblems.asp
UUVV.org endorses the efforts of citizens to verify by recounting, and to demand verification.
-- up-to-date list of actions http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/
We are posting the actions listed as of Monday,
Dec. 6, 2004, 10 AM. Please check the above web site for more up-to-date
information.
Demonstrations will occur daily.
Here are the locations, and details as of Mon 12/6, 10 AM
Please scan the complete list of details, because some locations have several
events, and they are not listed in order
All State Capitals
======
Press Release re: Picketing of Sec. Blackwell's Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Warren Linney
707-322-3886
Beginning Monday, December 6, 2004, at 11:30 am we will picket the offices of
Ohio Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell at
1. start the recount; and
2. agree to recuse himself from the recount; and
3. agree to appear before the House Judiciary Committee to answer questions
addressed to him in a 14-page letter dated 12/2/04 (signed by 12 Democratic
members of that committee); and
4. refrain from designating the Republican slate of presidential electors until
such time as the recount is finished.
Ken Blackwell has done everything to throw this election and is now running the
clock on the recount. This is not about Kerry or Bush, this is about having
fair elections that we can trust, where we are represented by people that
actually won the election. As Jesse Jackson recently said about Ken Blackwell,
the Co-chair of
Among the people participating in this action is former Congressman Dan
Hamburg. This action is endorsed and organized by Citizens'
(www.caseohio.org) and Wake Up Ohio
(www.wake-upohio.com). These groups
held the rally at the State House on December, 4, 2004.
New evidence of fraud came to light on Saturday as Harvey Wasserman,
(truth@freepress.org) one of the
people filing FOI requests, received his first reply.
This is the latest in a pattern of voting fraud committed by Mr. Blackwell and
many county election officials. These acts were premeditated voter suppression
because election official knew months in advance of how many voters were in
each precinct. Yet fewer voting machines were placed in heavily Black and
Student precincts, resulting in lines over 9 hours, versus waiting times of
less than 30 minutes in Republican precincts.
Picketing will continue outside the building or in the lobby area until Mr.
Blackwell fulfills his obligations to the people of
Thank you for your reporting on this issue that is of monumental importance to
the future of our democracy.
Contact: Warren Linney
707-322-3886
Publisher, Patriotic Press
wlinney@patriottest.org
# posted by Ray Beckerman @ 2:48 AM
======
Calendar of events (updated 12/6, 3:00 a.m.)
Today through Friday, December 10th. Sit-in, picketing, and demonstrations in
front of Blackwell's office.
11:00 a.m., Secretary of State Blackwell's office,
In an effort to have free and fair elections we will picket Ken Blackwell's
office (
wlinney@patriottest.org
707-322-3886
======
Monday, December 6th. Rally in Solidarity With Ohioans.
12:00 Noon - 1:30 P.M. LOCATION:
annierobbins@speakeasy.net and
Forrest Jackson,
forrestajackson@earthlink.net
======
Monday, December 6th. Rally in Front of Congresswoman Pelosi's Office,
12:00 noon.
bowman.b@comcast.net (510) 701-1787
(To car pool from Palo Alto, please meet at the Page Mill/Highway 280 Park and
Ride at 10:30am and call Peter Drekmeier at 650-223-3333 to let him know you
are coming).
======
Tuesday, December 7th. Picketing.
Demonstration, picketing at the Delaware County Board of Elections. Protesting
their refusal to recount, in disobedience of court order. Intersection of South
Sandusky Street & Park Avenue (at the entrance to
paddy@columbus.rr.com
======
Tuesday, December 7th. Candlelight Vigil in Support of
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sponsored by "Investigate All 88" Contact information:
info@investigate88.org
======
Wednesday, December 8th. FBI Rally.
12:00 noon. FBI office at
======
Wednesday, December 8. Hearing Conducted by Congressman Conyers.
10:00 a.m.
======
Friday, December 10th. Action Planning Session and Screening of Film of
November 13th
7:30 p.m. Video screening of the first
======DENVER CO============
Saturday, December 11th. Rally to Protest Media Blackout of Vote Fraud.
12:00 noon. Colorado State Capitol building, west steps (
(http://cfvi.org) and speakers with contact from
the recount campaigns in
mcgrath_mcnally@msn.com
======
Saturday, December 11th. Black Box Tea Party,
12:15 pm to 2:00 pm.
http://www.solarbus.org/stealyourelection/articles/1211-nyc-protest.html
or email
alexisact@earthlink.net or
sharon.lynch@verizon.net
======
Saturday, December 11th, Protest Rally,
1:00 p.m.
======
Saturday, December 11, 2004, March on
(Call (561) - 889 - 2165 or email activistdemocrat1@yahoo.com
to participate with the "March on
======
Sunday, December 12th. Demonstration.
Ohio Statehouse, corner of Broad and High Streets. (Bring signs, but no sticks
allowed) Details to follow. 541-343-3353, kinc@efn.org
======TALLAHASSE FL=======
Sunday, December 12th. 51 Capital March,
Contact Michael Fox:
tampabaydemocracy@yahoo.com
======
Sunday, December 12, 2004. 51 Capital March,
12:00 noon. Location: The White House 1600
violinone@mail.com http://www.51capitalmarch.com
======
Sunday, December 12, 2004. 51 Capital March,
12:00 noon. Location: State Capitol 1700 West Washington Phoenix AZ 85007
Contact: Kip Humphrey kiphumphrey@51capitalmarch.com
======
Sunday, December 12, 2004. 51 Capital March,
12:00 noon. Location: State Capitol 1100 Congress Ave Austin TX 78701 Contact:
Kip Humphrey kiphumphrey@51capitalmarch.com
======
Sunday, December 12, 2004. 51 Capital March,
12:00 noon. Location: State Capitol 600 Dexter Avenue Montgomery AL 36130
Contact: Kip Humphrey kiphumphrey@51capitalmarch.com
======ALL STATE CAPITALS===
Sunday, December 12, 2004. 51 Capital March, nationwide in all states, march on
state capitals
12:00 noon. To find organizers and participants in your state, go to
http://www.51capitalmarch.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl
======
Monday, December 13, 2004. "Hands Around the Statehouse" Rally,
11:00 A.M. Details to follow. Volunteers contact 541-343-3353, kinc@efn.org
Monday, December 13th. Demonstration.
Ohio Statehouse, corner of Broad and High Streets. (Bring signs, but no sticks
allowed.)
======
Monday, December 13th. Monday, December 13th. Emergency Meeting Outside
Electoral College Delegates' Meeting.
11:00 AM Meet at the
On Monday, December 13, electoral college delegates will meet in every state
capital to cast the votes that will elect our president and vice president.
Please join us to protest and make visible the many voting rights violations
and election irregularities which call into question the integrity of this
election and demand reforms to extend and protect a genuine democracy. The
This is part of a national call to action endorsed by the No Stolen Elections
campaign, 51 Capital March, CODEPINK, United for Peace and Justice, Planned
Parenthood MarMonte, Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Wellstone Renewal
Club, East Bay, and others. Cosponsored by
http://sacramentofordemocracy.org
For more information, contact:
Kevin Greene, 530-756-2853, 530-220-0800 cell;
kevingreene4peace@yahoo.com
Karen Bernal: 916-812-1793 cell;
karber@tower.com
======
Saturday, December 18th Protest,
2:00 p.m.
THIS CALENDAR IS FREQUENTLY UPDATED; IF YOU CAME TO THIS THROUGH A LINK FROM AN
EMAIL OR OTHER WEB SITE, BE SURE TO CHECK FOR MORE RECENT VERSION OF CALENDAR
SPECIAL NOTE:
Sincerely yours,
R. B.
# posted by Ray Beckerman @ 2:00 AM
------
ARCHIVE OF PAST CALLS TO ACTION-------
10/14/04 -- Congress has adjourned, but if
our democracy survives the November election, verifiable elections will
continue to be an issue until the last unverifiable voting system is replaced.
We must continue to inform legislators about
the threat to democracy posed by unverifiable voting systems. Public outcry is
the key to getting action at the federal, state, and local levels.
In the House of Representatives, UUs are
still pushing Rep. Rush Holt’s bill, HR2239, the "Voter Confidence and
Increased Accessibility Act," which has 157 co-sponsors and continues to
add more every week!
In the US Senate, the companion
"Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act" is S1980,
introduced by Sen. Bob Graham. It has 6 co-sponsors.
Although we are asking
for co-sponsorship of these bills, our main focus is on achieving a secure
election on NOVEMBER 2.
Elections are partisan
and adversarial, and there is enormous motivation to cheat. History tells us
that the only way to achieve integrity is to conduct elections in an open, observable manner.
The following links will
guide you to the actions needed between now and the election.
The information below will be helpful after Nov. 2, as a
guide to working for a legislative solution to protect the integrity of
American elections.
WHAT
TO DO -- INDIVIDUALS:
1.
Read the Action of Immediate Witness
2.
Determine
who your Congressional Representative and US Senators are. Click http://www.vote-smart.org
3.
Determine
whether your two U.S. Senators are sponsors of S1980. Determine which Congressional Representatives in your state are
co-sponsors of HR2239 and which need to be lobbied. Click here http://www.verifiedvoting.org/stateview.asp?state.
4.
If your Congressperson is not a co-sponsor,
call him or her at 1-800-839-5276. Say
you are a constituent.and that you want him or her to co-sponsor Rep. Rush
Holt's Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act, HR 2239. Also, say that
no matter what, we must have voter verified paper ballots for federal offices
this November. A low-tech or non-technical approach, such as using hand-marked
paper ballots for all voters, will work.
5.
If your Senators are not co-sponsors, call them
at 1-800-839-5276. Say you are a
constituent.and you want them to co-sponsor Sen. Bob Graham's S1980, the Voter
Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act.
Also, say that no matter what, we must have voter verified paper ballots
for federal offices this November. A low-tech or non-technical approach, such
as using hand-marked paper ballots for all voters, will work.
6.
Write a
letter also, and FAX it (mail is being delayed). Get the fax number from the
office staff when you call the 800 number above. Emphasize the need for
paper ballots in November as well as the need for co-sponsorship. If you want to use our sample letters, you
can personalize them for greater impact. [Sample letter for Senators,
Representatives]
7.
E-mail this
"Call to Action" to all your friends around the country. Send them an
attachment summarizing the problem.
Follow up with a call and pep talk. We
need legislators from every state on board, even those from states that are
using paper ballots now.
8.
Email, call,
and fax letters to Congressman Ney, Chairman of the House
Administration Committee which has prevented HR2239 from reaching the floor for
over a year. Tell him he has a sworn
responsibility to defend our democracy, and that the essence of democracy is
that people can oversee the accurate recording and counting of every citizen’s
vote.
9. Call the members of the
Senate rules Committee, http://rules.senate.gov/ The list is below. All can be reached at 1-800-839-5276
Trent Lott, Chair-R
Ted Stevens-R
Mitch McConnell-R
Thad Chochran-R
Rick Santorum-R
Don Nickles-R
Kay Bailey Hutchison-R
Bill Frist-R
Gordon Smith-R
C. Saxby Chambliss-R
Christopher J. Dodd, Ranking D
Robert C. Byrd-D
Daniel K. Inouye-D
Dianne Feinstein-D
Charles E. Schumer-D
John B. Breaux-D
Tom Daschle-D
Mark Dayton-D
Richard J. Durbin-D
10. Computer technologists need to arrange now
to participate in TechWatch to observe the use of computerized election systems
on election day. See verifiedvoting.org
and ObserversNeeded for more info.
WHAT
TO DO -- GROUP ACTION!!
1.
Establish a task force within your church,
or a group of churches.
Gather a group who will take
responsibility for intense witness for the next two months.
2.
Organize an intensive campaign to contact those senators and representatives who are not yet
co-sponsors of HR2239 and S1980 via emails, handwritten postcards, letters that
are mailed and faxed, and phone calls.
Begin with your own congregation this
Sunday. Expand to neighboring
churches or other groups you are affiliated with. Always hand out information in conjunction with letter writing campaigns. A double-sided handout that summarizes the
problem well is ”We
Have a Problem…We Have Solutions.”
Here are suggestions for a postcard campaign.
Talking Points
--We want voter-verified
paper ballots in all precincts for November 2004
--No technical fix is
needed! Every precinct has paper absentee ballots, just print more of them.
--Democracy requires our
votes be counted as cast, but current computers cannot guarantee that.
--30% of Americans will
vote in November on machines that:
Cannot do meaningful recounts
Cannot be audited for accuracy
Are not transparent to voter oversight
--We demand respect for
our vote and our citizenship!
--Trust is not
appropriate in elections. Verification
is!
3.
Inform and activate task force members,
congregation, and others.
Distribute information to yourselves and
your congregation and others. Print out selected articles from “Questions and Answers”. Hold informational meetings and at every meeting, conduct letter writing, petition signing,
and distribute information about whom to contact and what to ask for.
Designate two or three volunteers who can
immerse themselves in the information available, and act as your local experts.
They can obtain information from the web sites listed in section 7 below.
Involve the public: table and/or
distribute flyers at public events and places
Make news: hold public actions, and call
the press and media.
Outreach: Write letters to the editor,
call other organizations and offer a speaker on this issue.
4.
Prepare now to participate and observe the election in November.
Don't wait till the day after the election and then complain
that "they" didn't do it right! No one will serve us
"democracy" on a silver platter! Observers are needed!
Link up with other groups in your area that are active on the issue of voting integrity. Listings of organizations are available at WheresThePaper.org , VotersUnite.org , and VerifiedVoting.org. Also, you can call the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, or many other organizations.
Find out what is going on in your state to
implement HAVA. Who has authority and responsibility? What has already been
done? Who needs to be lobbied? (Legislators? Secretary of State? Election
officials? State Board of Elections?)
www.verifiedvoting.org , organizing the national struggle for
verified voting
www.blackboxvoting.org , Bev Harris, leading researcher and
organizer
www.votersunite.org , Myth Breakers for Election Officials
and other key materials
www.wheresthepaper.org , Fraudulent Voting Machine teaching
demonstration
www.wheresthepaper.org/links.html , library of materials
www.wheresthepaper.org/whattodo.html , large "what to do" list
www.wheresthepaper.org/findreps.html , many ways to look up your elected officials