Election Day is Around the Corner ~ What Should YOU Be Doing?

At last, mainstream media has figured it out: electronic voting can be hacked! They are just three years behind the curve, but at least they are finally getting the word out there to the public. Now all Americans who do not believe anything is true until they see it on CNN will finally know we've been speaking truth for the past several years regarding electronic voting and stolen elections. We especially thank Lou Dobbs and Kitty Pilgrim, who have become relentless in covering this crucial story and even brought up hand-counted paper ballots as a possible solution in their one-hour special this past week!

Logically, citizens keep raising the question: Does this mean we shouldn't vote, since our vote will probably be corrupted, flipped, or stolen anyway?

Our answer is: Vote anyway! As Bev Harris says, make "them" have to steal your vote to manipulate an election. But secondarily, vote so that you can record your experience or that of other voters you see or meet on Election Day. There are many organizations that will be gathering data on November 7th, and we have links to some of those orgs on our website.

No, you can't see an electronic voting machine steal an election (hence the name "black box"). But you can record (in writing, or with a camera or videocamera if the election judges don't toss you out of the polling place for using one) if, for example: You are voting on a touchscreen voting machine, you press the button for one candidate and another candidate's name lights up on the screen; if the machine gives you other types of problems; if it breaks down; if it has to be "re-booted"; if vendors are called in to "fix" machines; if you wait in a long line to vote only to find they moved your precinct's voting place at the last minute to another location; if election officials try to bully you or subvert the process in some way; if you get disenfranchised by some weird move like you're suddenly on a list of convicted felons; if there are long lines in your polling place, etc. etc.

There is a campaign ongoing called "Video the Vote" (link on our website); if you have a videocamera, consider pulling it out on election day and visit several precincts in your county to tape disgruntled voters who've had problems. Even if you are not allowed inside the polling place, you can tape voters coming out (if they give you permission) and gather evidence that way while it's fresh on the minds of the voters.

We want this to be the most documented election ever in American history, with every single voter coming out to vote...AND record their experience.

For ideas of other wonderful things you can do as a citizen to take back your elections, visit www.blackboxvoting.org website and click on the "Citizens' Toolkit". Actions that citizens can take before, during, and after the election are detailed in easy-to-follow modules.

I'm borrowing a videocamera for election day and hope to record lots of interesting footage. I'll be writing up a report after the election to let everyone know what I observed.

Meanwhile, we are holding a press conference on the capital steps here in Austin Texas to announce that we warned our Secretary of State, Roger Williams, about the threat of electronic voting and he chose to ignore the data and proceed using Diebold, ES&S and Hart machines in Texas elections anyway next Tuesday. He has ignored our demand to return to hand-counted paper ballot elections in our state.

So, please vote on election day...and please take one of many possible citizen actions to begin reclaiming your election at the same time.

Vickie Karp
National Chair
www.coalitionforvisibleballots.org