( – promoted by SFBrianCL)
(cross-posted at The California Courage Campaign)
On Saturday I attended an amazing election protection event here in Los Angeles. Co-sponsored by SoCal Grassroots, Velvet Revolution, and Progressive Democrats of America, the event brought together a veritable who’s who of the nationwide fight to make sure the votes we cast are the votes that are counted. The fact that it was held in the Immanuel Presbyterian Church seemed only appropriate considering the passion activists have for this topic, especially here in California.
More on the event over the flip.
It was only this past February that our Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, a Republican appointed by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005, re-certified Diebold machines for use in California’s 2006 elections despite having just released a report that cited serious flaws in the Diebold software. And it was this past June 6, primary day here in California, that this re-certification got its first real world application…and failed miserably. Not only were poll workers sent home with Diebold machines for days prior to the election in San Diego County (the now famous “sleep-overs,” ) which should have nullified the votes by definition of McPherson’s own “conditions for recertification,” but up in Kern County, the machines just plain didn’t work, leading to mass dis-enfranchisement. So yes, the timing of these events has made us quite sensitive to the issue. Luckily, we have a champion, a savior, if you will, in State Senator (and netroots all-star) Debra Bowen, who is challenging McPherson for his job. This is by far the most important statewide election Californians will be deciding this November and should be on all of our minds as we head into November.
As I walked through the nave of the church to find a seat, I was happy to see the Princeton University study video projected onto a small screen for our viewing pleasure (or horror) as we waited.
The event’s prime mover, Michael Jay of SoCal Grassroots, introduced the forum’s moderator, Brad Friedman of Brad Blog, who promptly took his place at the podium. He immediately brought up the Princeton study, which showed all too simply how a Diebold machine may be hacked and votes switched from one candidate to another without anyone knowing. Friedman spoke of The Washington Post article that actually deigned to report on the study, which said that “nobody knew” who’d sent the Princeton professors the Diebold machine they used in their test.
Freidman quipped with a smirk:
"Well, clearly they never checked with me."
The place erupted in applause.
"These machines do not work, they are not accurate, we need to do something about it. The media and politicians don’t seem to care. It is my job to be the media."
If you haven’t been to BradBlog, it’s the number one resource on the web for election protection issues and news. Check it out, he's doing great work.
Friedman spoke of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which provided funds to states to transition to electronic voting so that we wouldn’t have a repeat of 2000. The main architect of HAVA: Bob Ney, who recently pleaded guilty in Ohio. Friedman laughed that it is truly poetic justice that as an incarcerated felon in Ohio, which hopefully Ney will be very soon, the Congressman (yes, he still is one!) will have the right to vote stripped from him.
It wasn’t long before the marquee speaker at the event, State Senator Debra Bowen, California’s next Secretary of State, was introduced.
As her name was spoken, all of us in that church were on our feet. She always brings the house down at these events, her mere presence giving us the assurance that someone cares, someone understands how important this issue is to us. And the thing is, she truly does.
She spoke passionately of her mission on our behalf.
“My campaign is about defending the simple idea of self-governance. By the people, of the people, for the people.”
The way we exercise this right, of course, is through elections, and it is only by ensuring the integrity of those elections that we can truly fulfill this most basic tenet of our democracy.
"I welcome you all to join me in an event on Nov 7. It’s called an election."
She was, of course, calling on us to vote, but that’s not all. She urged us to be poll workers on election day; to go to the registrar of voters office and learn the system. In her role as State Senator, she is fighting to make the election process in California as transparent as possible.
"So simple but so important."
She also spoke about an unconscionable deal struck by our current Secretary of State that required an exact match between ones voter registration on file and an alternate form of state identification, such as a driver’s license. Millions of people were purged from the rolls in L.A. County because of discrepancies in their information, whether it was the inverting of numbers in an address, a maiden name on one form of identification and married name on another or a mis-placed dash or period. This classic method of right wing disenfranchisement was clearly meant to target the working poor (who move more often) and new citizens, both Democratic voter constituencies. Debra Bowen fought successfully to lower the bar for what constituted a match, which put most of those stricken from the rolls back on.
"We are fighting to allow people to cast ballots."
Again, so simple, but so important.
She also spoke of changing the auditing procedures when a recount is called for. She carried SB370 through the Senate, which demands that a paper trail will be used to audit electronic voting machines. McPherson opposed it. He also opposed that absentee ballots be part of the 1% audit during a recount.
"When I become Secretary of State…"
Applause.
"We will not use voting systems that are not secure. We will be able to look at the software. It will be a matter of public record."
Applause.
"This is not for me. This is all for you, this is your election, this is your state, this is your country."
Huge applause, standing O.
Bowen is such a class act. She is so sincere, so smart and so attractive as a candidate. She doesn’t come across as extreme yet still manages to tap into the conspiracy theorist within us all.
The next marquee name of the event is a hero to everyone in that church, a true darling of all Los Angeles activists: Congresswoman Maxine Waters. She is one of those rare speakers who you just can’t take your eyes off. She is so compelling a visual and aural force, she just captivates you. Add to that her genuine progressive credentials and you can imagine the response she got in that church.
She began by thanking us.
"Thank you for standing up and making mealy-mouthed Democrats speak up and say and do what we need to be doing."
She spoke of being up in Minnesota last week, where Keith Ellison won the primary in Minnesota’s 5th, which means he will be going to Congress in January. She was struck by the fact that Minnesota has same-day registration.
"We should have same day registration in every state in the country. California needs same day registration."
She spoke of the re-authorization of the voting rights act and the remarkable fact that it’s being contested by conservatives.
"I thought we’d already fought this fight."
And she spoke passionately about the need for us to take over the voting process from the government.
"We need a delegation to go to every county registrar of voters office to walk us through the system. Scrutinize every aspect of the system so that we can get corrections and file suits if we must to make sure these are systems we can count on."
We need to take over the polling places on election day.
"Recruit polling workers. In the churches, labor unions, bars, social clubs. Let’s get these polling places manned."
She also spoke of consolidations whereby polling places in certain precincts are consolidated, making fewer and fewer polling places requiring people to go further and further from their homes to vote. She called on Debra Bowen to outlaw these consolidations when she is Secretary of State.
"When."
Huge applause.
Then something surprising happened. It seemed to surprise even Congresswoman Waters. Michael Jay, of SoCal Grassroots, got a woman manning the assignment desk at Fox News on the phone and began to tell her about the event. Jay then gave Maxine Waters the phone. We could hear both sides of the conversation. It went so quickly I didn’t get it all but this is how it began.
Waters: Are you going to help us get the word out?
Fox News: This is the assignment desk and we have a lot of things going on.
Waters: Is there anyone you can assign to this story?
Fox News: No, all reporters are out reporting on stories.
Laughter. Some boos.
There was then a sort of confusion where the woman on the other end of the line was like “I don’t know what this event is.” So Waters explained it to her in her inimitable way and asked her several questions with growing volume and passion, which culminated in:
Waters: Are you going to help us get the word out on this important issue!?
Fox News: (beat) Yes.
Which of course led to huge applause. They videotaped it so hopefully it will be up on You Tube soon. It was classic.
Michael Jay then took the podium again and drew our attention to flyers that had been placed on all of our seats. They included phone numbers to members of the media and we took 5 minutes to make phone calls to the numbers on the sheet to inform them of what we were doing there and the importance of securing the integrity of our elections. It was such an ingenious grassroots thing to spring on us. In a flash, people were on their phones calling the media without even blinking. Offline grassroots activism at its purest.
Friedman returned to the podium and spoke a bit about the primary election in Maryland last week and urged all Democrats to do what Donna Edwards is doing:
"Do not concede until every vote is counted."
He then spoke of the bi-partisan support we have on the issue of election protection.
"It’s not about right and left, it’s about right and wrong."
He said that even Lou Dobbs said these machines be removed completely until their security can be guaranteed. Friedman then played a clip of Southern California wingnut radio personality Roger Hedgecock ("he makes Ann Coulter sound like Cindy Sheehan." ) expressing solidarity woth Friedman on the issue of election protection.
Friedman then introduced Holly Jacobson of VoterAction.org. She is fighting to reverse the trend toward election privatization all over the country. Voteraction.org has filed law suits to halt the purchase and certification of Diebold machines. In fact on Thursday, a judge here in California refused to grant an injunction against the use of Diebold machines for use in our November elections.
Voteraction.org’s hope is that states all over the country will follow the example of New Mexico. Governor Bill Richardson was so outraged by what happened with Sequoia voting machines in the 2002 mid-term elections there that he introduced a bill requiring the state to use nothing but paper ballots in their elections. The legislature passed it and it is currently in effect.
Friedman then introduced Mimi Kennedy of Progressive Democrats of America and Nosleepovers.org (you know her better as Dharma’s mom on Dharma and Greg.) She spoke eloquently on the current reality of the state of electronic voting here in Los Angeles. We currently still use “InkaVote,” where we place an ink spot on a card. But early voting is via Diebold machines.
Kennedy then introduced Connie McCormack, the L.A. County Registrar of Voters. She had in her arms a stack of poll worker applications. She urged us all to become poll workers. She also invited us to come to her office. She said it’s open to the public, we should all feel free to come and learn the election process so that it’s open and transparent.
McCormack was aparently an early adopter of Diebold machines. She now is a believer that more security precautions need to be taken. She assured us that she is on our side.
She also gave us a good piece of advice:
"If you vote absentee, Xerox the outside envelope where you have the number and signature. They might need to audit that."
Kennedy then introduced Marcy Winograd: "the woman who kept Jane Harman honest."
She urged us to all demand that our candidates have an election protection platform and to put it on their website. She also urged support for making election day a holiday and same-day registration.
"When I was a candidate, I was in touch with county registrar of voters office. I wanted to make sure that working class communities are given equal access, make sure there were no problems, make sure there are no modems connected."
She then adamantly urged us:
"DON’T VOTE EARLY."
She called on us to hold our candidates accountable, demand that they
"pledge that if there are irregularities arise that you will not concede the vote."
Huge applause.
The final speaker of the event was the inimitable Gore Vidal. I can’t express how amazing it was to be in the presence of such quiet confident brilliance. Despite hobbling in on a cane and with the help of a young man, once he sat and began to answer questions from members of the audience, he exuded such a strong sense of quiet rebellion against the status quo, against the current administration, he was definitely heroic.
Before he began speaking, you could hear a pin drop. Some highlights of his responses:
"The media simply recreates the president’s view of the world."
"When 2 elections in a row are stolen, you no longer have a republic."
"I’ve never had this feeling before…that there’s nowhere to turn. You’d go to the press, the politicians."
"You are not a wartime president because there is no war. You can’t have a war without a declaration or a country that we’ve waged war against."
"I’d be tempted to support the death penalty for white collar criminals but no I wouldn’t because I’m opposed to the death penalty."
"This president's lack of judgment is majestic."
"I have a dream that Dick Cheney is sitting in a grandstand and I’m passing by in my car with a giant magnet. And since he’s half metal anyway…Is there a problem officer? I was just passing by with my magnet."
So if you believe that we should take the time to count every vote as cast, you need to Stand up for Debra Bowen.