This just in from Joseph Sickel:
here’s my little voting story…
When I arrived at our polling place in Southern California, about 300 people had voted. I asked for a paper ballot, saying I didn’t trust the DREs.
The volunteers asked, “Why?”
I said, “I’m a programmer.”
We laughed.
But it was an old joke for them. They said nearly all of the 20 or so people requesting a paper ballot gave the same sort of answer.
First of all, there are 1,000s of people who, as of an hour or two ago, were still lined up waiting to vote. (People who had already vote were starting to bring refreshments to those still waiting in line.)
Then a friend just sent me an email reminding me about Walden “Wally” O’Dell. The chairman of the board and chief executive of Diebold – the company who manufacturers the electronic voting machines used in Ohio. He promised to deliver Ohio to Bush.
They better count every last vote this time around! In Ohio, and everywhere else. (Including all
Provisional Ballots.)
We can’t let the Repubs use the existing buraucracy under their control to throw out millions of Democrat votes in the states where it suits them. (They’ve already done it again in Florida.)
Karl Rove will stop at nothing.
We have to stand up to them this time around. No quick forfeits.
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2004/03/03_200.html
For years, O’Dell has given generously to Republican candidates. Last September, he held a packed $1,000-per-head GOP fundraiser at his 10,800-square-foot mansion. He has been feted as a guest at President Bush’s Texas ranch, joining a cadre of “Pioneers and Rangers” who have pledged to raise more than $100,000 for the Bush reelection campaign. Most memorably, O’Dell last fall penned a letter pledging his commitment “to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the President.
This just in from Benjamin:
Here in West Des Moines, Iowa it went like clockwork, just like every
other time. I walked in, filled out a little piece of carbon paper
stating who I was and signed it, walked to the next person who checked
the paper against her big book o’ people, and then to the next for a
ballot. After receiving my nice paper ballot I completed the arrow
pointing at the candidates I was voting for, checked it over a couple
times, and stuck it in the machine. According to the LEDs on the
machine, I was number 812 for my precinct.
This in from Dave Pentecost of Michael Moore’s “Protect the Vote” video team in Cleveland. (I offered to host clips for them.):
I am with the Michael Moore protect the vote video team in Cleveland. I expect we will have clips of voters being challenged or sound bites after they leave the polls.
We are starting to hear about more incidents of challengers and dirty tricks and are sending crews to those locations. I’ll let you know when I’ve uploaded anything.
This is typical right now: we got a report that there were 5
challengers where they are only allowed 2, old couples being allowed
only one vote between them, cops around and telling our crews to turn
off the cameras (even though they were the proper distance). Rebecca
Perl who is organizing things called for a lawyer, he went over and
got the challengers to leave. I’ll see what gets on tape, but that’s
what we are here for – rapid response.
I shot the Michael Moore press conference this afternoon. He’s good
but you can see him on TV. I’m still looking for the clips you can’t
see elsewhere. And after the presser, the “real” media went off
trailing behind our teams, who’ve been out in the rain all day.
Just got a call that they are sending some tapes back. We’ll see what’s up.
And then later:
Looks like no video clip today. some good
anecdotal interviews. Good determined folks at the polls. Surprisingly
little conflict considering all the waiting lines. But we know how
great all Americans are!
Here’s the introductory post that goes with this one.
Here was Steve Shapiro’s report from Sunday on his “Election Protection” assignment in Florida.
Here are some photos from fellow Election Protection member Gail.
Steve says:
We are at the caleb center in the Model City neighborhood — a community center that was built after the 1980 riots – has become the center of a lot of activity. This is one of the early voting places.
The poll is officially closed at 5pm — but there are still 2-3 hours of people.
Yesterday there were about 600 people in line when the polls closed at 5pm.
Voting is taken extrordinarily seriosly – peole are on a mission to make sure that their vote counts.
So they give numbers and call for people to vote. so they just stop giving out numbers at 5. It works like the priority ticket system for music concerts. Once people get their number, that can move about. So people were sitting in no particular order, and there were a lot of kids and families around.
We’re working today with the Miami Dade Election Reform coalition — another non-partisan coalition to learn about the electronic voting machines. They got a small grant to organize people to go out and witness the closing up procedures.
It’s inspiring. They’ve given up their whole day to do this. The Election Protection people were taking complaints from people. The only complaint is that it takes too long. It’s just that there are so many people.
Florida law says that they have to ask you for ID, but you don’t have to supply it unless you’re a first time voter who has never voted before. You can sign an affadivit. Every state has a different law as far as that goes.
We haven’t had any incidents in the last three days AT ALL — so everybody that showed up to vote has been allowed to – their names has been on the list.
On Tuesday they will be run by different people. The people running the early voting
Early voting can take place at any one of the 14 regional centers in Dade county, but on Tuesday you have to go to your correct precinct, which are smaller. There’s only two places where the precinct your registered with doesn’t matter — and those are official county offices.
They lost a lawsuit by the AFLCIO among others that would have made it OK to use a provisional ballot if you go to the wrong precinct. But they lost, so you do need to go to the correct precinct.
These “early voting” folks are working from a comprehensive list of all eligible. The list Tuesday will be the same list with “eligible, voted absentee, voted early, etc.” noted so there won’t be any duplicate voting.
The Broward county to the north have had more problems – not enough sites, not enough machines – more problems at the polls. Broward county is the same county that lost 58,000 absentee ballots — people never received them. Said it was the post offices problem. They supposedly re-mailed them out — friday — so anyone out of state won’t get theirs in time. Just for tonight, (Sunday) we will be there to montior with the election reform coalition.
The Republican spin doctors have done a bang up job clouding the issues surrounding Provisional Ballots.
Provisional Ballots are a good thing, not a bad one. They are the last fail safe to protect rightfully-registered voters from not having their votes counted.
The point is, if you show up for the wrong precinct, you can still be given a provisional ballot if you ask for one, that should be counted when voting administrators confirm your registration after closing time. (Yeah, the jury’s still out on how well these will be counted. Browne addresses this issue in the video clip.
There are some things you need to know about Provisional Ballots, Here’s a really great piece from Bill Moyers which explains all about Provisional Ballots. (I’ve also included the whole interview with Judith Browne, Senior Attorney for the Advancement Project. She explains the other forms of voter intimidation that her organization has filed lawsuits over.)
Judith Browne Explains Provisional Ballots
This is from the October 17, 2004 program of Bill Moyers NOW!
(I know the directory says Oct 29, but I just realized it now, and I don’t want to break the other links. So I’ll have to fix it later.)
G.O.P. Can Challenge Voters at Ohio Polls, Court Rules
What a bunch of crap.
Lines of Voters Try to Cast Ballots Early
By Roger Petterson for the Associated Press.
Voters trying to beat the rush turned out early to cast ballots in many precincts as Election Day opened, forming long lines that snaked out the doors, waiting in rain and even taking along chairs for expected long waits.
Umbrellas and raincoats were needed Tuesday from Texas to the lower Great Lakes, and snow-covered roads were a problem in the Texas Panhandle. In some places, voters were standing in line before the polling place doors opened.
Besides the presidency, voters were filling 34 Senate seats, 11 governorships and all 435 House seats.
Both parties had pushed to increase turnout among their supporters, and even with early voting in many states, tens of millions were to head to the polls before the long Election Day wound to a close.
This isn’t the first email I’ve received since I asked you to send me your accounts of voting experiences. This is the email I received last night that gave me the idea in the first place.
From Brian Nicks:
Want to know what this image is? It’s a picture I took with my cellphone-camera of an electronic voting machine screen. I took it today when I went down to vote for the next President of the Unites States in Santa Clara California. The screen says “Vote Save Error #9. Use the Backup Voting Procedure.” A news crew was on hand to film Californians using the voting machines. I pointed to this particular screen and said “There’s your story – right there. I just took a picture of the screen and plan to share it with 6.4 billion of my closest friends on the Internet tonight. I suggest you do the same.” To my astonishment, the cameraman did shoot some footage of the screen, though I don’t know what was shown later on television.
Now that I’ve told you the story behind the picture, I need not mention the maelstrom of thoughts that go through my head whenever I look at it – the picture is testament enough. The next revolution will not be televised. The next revolution will be blogged.
These clips are from the November 1, 2004 program.
Daily Show Comedy Clips and Interviews For November 1, 2004
Included in these (6) clips:
Jon Stewart Telling Us To Get out there and VOTE!
A two part interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace
(where he explains that Fox has a four person panel now that has to decide unanimously before a winner can be declared.)
Kerry and Bush respond to Bin Laden’s new tape
Cheney, Chelsea, Bruce and Arnold On The Campaign Trail
A voting report from Ed Helms and Stephen Colbert
The Daily Show (The best news on television.)