This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change.
And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. ~ Barack Obama
And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. ~ Barack Obama
Across the country, the ballots are still being counted, recounts are moving forward, and election protection groups are getting a handle on what just happened. As with Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004, the full story of the 2008 election won't be known for months, if not years. But one thing is already clear: The vote suppression efforts that we saw in Virginia and so many other states this year were part of a deliberate, coordinated effort to deny voting rights and determine the election.
You can make a difference right now . . .
1. Tell them to Investigate, Legislate!
Make sure that never again is the outcome of a U.S. election threatened by deliberate vote suppression, voter intimidation, misinformation, machine malfunction, or reckless election administration.
Send a message to Congress and to the incoming President. Tell them to:
A - Pass sweeping voting rights legislation enacting the provisions of the Voter Bill of Rights. See: http://www.nomorestolenelections.org/resources/voter_bill_of_rights
B - Conduct a thorough investigation of the deliberate effort by partisan operatives to suppress the vote and steal the 2008 election, and to bring those responsible for voting rights violations to justice.
B - Conduct a thorough investigation of the deliberate effort by partisan operatives to suppress the vote and steal the 2008 election, and to bring those responsible for voting rights violations to justice.
The trail of voting rights violations in the 2008 election is long, and growing longer: Literally hundreds of thousands of voting rights violation reports have already been filed with election protection efforts like 866OurVote.org, among many others.
Please click here. Thank you for taking action.
2. Monitor the Provisional Ballots
Provisional ballots are not counted on election night, but must first go through a qualification process to determine whether or not the voter was eligible 1) to vote at all, and 2) to vote in all races on the ballot that was cast. . . . Observing this process can increase the chances that it is conducted fairly, in part by providing a deterrent to biased decision-making. Please take a look at this helpful guide prepared by Velvet Revolution's Emily Levy, and then, act:
3. Organize in Your Community
Barack Obama's vote totals were decisive enough that the presidential election was uncontested on Election Night, and the urgency that would have driven tens of thousands into the streets was not present. Nonetheless, some people still got up the next day ready to organize. Just yesterday, hundreds of people gathered in Voters Assemblies in dozens of cities nationwide. Here's a sample of just a few of the reports we've had back from people:
Tennessee -- "The discussion involved most of the 30 in attendance. We thought about how we can make a difference in our local area, how to better influence our legislators and improve our columns in the newspapers. The program was repeated at a potluck dinner attended by 35 that evening in Cookeville, at the United Church of Christ."
Connecticut -- "We had about 25 people last night. After expressing our relief that the election had not been stolen, we went around saying what our hopes and concerns were about an Obama presidency and what projects people are willing and interested in working on now. These ranged from pushing the new president to restore constitutional liberties to working on election reform and becoming more involved on a local level. It was a good gathering."
Georgia -- "Everything went perfect We had about 50 people plus speakers, so really it turned into a rally. I will send you pictures. Thanks for the package, it really helped. Please be in touch!"
New York -- "Our designation of Democracy for NYC's "Big Linkup" as a Voter Assembly was unique in that we were scheduled to have our monthly Linkups held in several neighborhoods throughout NYC, combined as one "Big Linkup." I posted this event as a place to come together for a Voter Assembly to prepare for the possibility of a disaster around election outcome. I wanted a place where people all over the city could come together to plan a united reaction if one was needed. Democracy for NYC holds voter integrity very high on our list of issues. We will continue to work on all aspects regarding voter protection."
Connecticut -- "We had about 25 people last night. After expressing our relief that the election had not been stolen, we went around saying what our hopes and concerns were about an Obama presidency and what projects people are willing and interested in working on now. These ranged from pushing the new president to restore constitutional liberties to working on election reform and becoming more involved on a local level. It was a good gathering."
Georgia -- "Everything went perfect We had about 50 people plus speakers, so really it turned into a rally. I will send you pictures. Thanks for the package, it really helped. Please be in touch!"
New York -- "Our designation of Democracy for NYC's "Big Linkup" as a Voter Assembly was unique in that we were scheduled to have our monthly Linkups held in several neighborhoods throughout NYC, combined as one "Big Linkup." I posted this event as a place to come together for a Voter Assembly to prepare for the possibility of a disaster around election outcome. I wanted a place where people all over the city could come together to plan a united reaction if one was needed. Democracy for NYC holds voter integrity very high on our list of issues. We will continue to work on all aspects regarding voter protection."
And there was more where that came from. The most exciting news of all is that many of these groups -- even those who came together in smaller numbers -- intend to hold followup meetings and to continue their local organizing. And still others are planning to hold their first Voter Assemblies today, on Saturday, and next week. The voting rights movement is carrying forward!
If you plan to organize a local voting rights meeting, rally, or event, please post it at: http://www.NoMoreStolenElections.org/addva
Thank you.
Please donate now to No More Stolen Elections! Click here to donate.
No comments:
Post a Comment