TRIPLE PROTECTION FOR ELECTION 2006: BAD NEWS: It's not going to be better in 2006. UNLESS: You take extra actions to counterbalance election-related privatization and proprietary secrets.
THREE ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO PROTECT ELECTION 2006 - STARTING NOW: (1) All American Paper Chase (2) Waste Archeology Watchdogs (3) Candid America Project
1) Join the ALL AMERICAN PAPER CHASE: Request strategic public records. Share them with Black Box Voting or any other voting integrity group or the press.
HOW TO DO IT: Just write a letter; in most states you can do records requests by e-mail! Headline it "public records request." Include your contact info. Ask for documents not just a question. Limit the scope (i.e. dates, identify documents as specifically as you can.) Some examples: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/2197/10455.html
THIS MONTH'S SUGGESTED RECORDS REQUESTS: From your local county or township, request the financial documents containing election-related expenditures for Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. 2005. What to look for and share: All names of payees. Also ask for expenditure records for your local election officials for 2005. What to look for: travel, membership affiliations. What you learn may not seem important now, but can prove important after the Nov. election.
2) WASTE ARCHEOLOGY WATCHDOGS: This is a somewhat controversial suggestion. If you don't like it, skip ahead. "Waste archeology" can be an effective way to counteract secrecy. (Just imagine what might have been learned about the phony "homeland security" lockdown in Warren County, Ohio if waste archeology watchdogs had been active during the months preceding the election.)
WHAT TO DO: Pick a day once a week or once a month. Go with a friend. Scope situation out ahead of time. Rescue documents destined for premature demise from the trash. Waste archeology projects: Local elections-elated vendors, distributors and suppliers; elections offices; voting machine examiners and certifiers; ballot printers and mail processors. Note that many elections offices have multiple locations, therefore multiple opportunities.
3) Participate in CANDID AMERICA: Your camcorder - don't leave home without it.
THIS MONTH'S SUGGESTED CANDID AMERICA ACTION: Do a practice run. Start building a habit of getting out into the field to monitor your government. Practice run suggestion: Videotape a visit to your local elections office. Get footage of the outside of the building, the offices, and videotape answers for questions, like: - Are there any other locations besides this where election preparations or ballot handling or processing goes on? - When is the next small election? - Will there be absentee voting? Who will the ballot printer be? Where will they be processed for mailing? Sorting? Counting? - Where is the central tabulator room? Are citizens allowed to watch the central tallying? - Where are voting machines kept? - What staff members touch your voting machines before, during and after elections? - Does the vendor help with your elections? What are the names of the vendor support reps? Seemingly routine answers now may become important evidence in the Nov. election.
These actions will help you invoke logical consequences for privatizing elections, and can help counteract proprietary secrets. Each of these three actions will collect evidence that may become very important in November 2006. Oversight actions need to start now. Starting in November 2006 is too late.
----------------------------- Black Box Voting is fighting for your right, as a citizen, to oversee your elections. We are working on issues of voting machine security and accuracy, timely production of key elections public records, and providing training and consultation for citizens who want to get involved.
In 2006, we are emphasizing decentralized, autonomous citizen actions. It is important for American citizens to re-learn how to act independently of any organization. This is the best way for true citizen oversight to become a national habit.
Do not expect any group, coalition, master plan or agenda to oversee your local election. YOU are "We, the People." And take courage: There can be nothing more daunting to any corrupt public official than an autonomous ordinary citizen using his/her own common sense.
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