34 Articles

Sunday, May 18, 2008
So-ing The Seeds of Change
(3 comments) "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." -- John F. Kennedy

Thursday, March 20, 2008
Activists chanted for voter confidence
(1 comments) There is a serious movement afoot in support of hand-counting paper ballots in Humboldt County (CA) elections. Last Saturday's Peace March in Eureka furthered our organizing efforts. This was noticed by the Eureka Reporter. This post also includes other important updates on the Humboldt hand-count campaign.

Saturday, March 15, 2008
Photo Gallery: Eureka, CA Peace March 3/15/08
(6 comments) I took lots of photos today. Below are just a few of my favorites (very tough to choose!).

Saturday, March 8, 2008
Vets For Peace Chapter 56 Reiterates Call For Hand-Counting Paper Ballots
Following recent announcements by the Redwood ACLU and the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee (HCDCC), on Thursday night Veterans For Peace Chapter 56 adopted a resolution calling for Humboldt County to switch to all hand-counted paper ballots by the June 2008 primary election. The statement, shown in full below, is nearly identical to the one adopted February 18 by the HCDCC.

Thursday, February 14, 2008
Humboldt Dems Call For Hand-Counting Paper Ballots
(1 comments) Humboldt, CA - Support for hand-counting paper ballots is spreading.

Thursday, January 24, 2008
Humboldt Dems' Subcommittee Advances HCPB Resolution
(1 comments) Humboldt County, CA - Election watchdogs the Voter Confidence Committee continue to build community support for hand-counted paper ballots. A subcommittee of the County Dems has unanimously recommended a HCPB resolution to the full Dem Central Committee.

Saturday, January 12, 2008
NH Chaos Represents Opportunity; Nancy Tobi Pleads For No "Recount"
(1 comments) I'm looking at this New Hampshire situation and I'm saying alright already let's make the most of this opportunity to move ahead with the peaceful revolution.

Thursday, January 10, 2008
Humboldt Dems May Consider HCPB Resolution
Despite the temptation to get absorbed in the slo-mo train wreck that appears in most people's rear view mirror as the NH primary, the Voter Confidence Committee has continued conducting a campaign for hand-counting paper ballots here in Humboldt County, CA. Tonight we pitched the local Dems who received us well. Next step? Click through...

Sunday, January 6, 2008
Commentary on NYTimes: Can You Count On These Machines?
(6 comments) The New York Times devotes nearly 8,000 words to electronic voting, telling us little we didn't already know while perpetuating false framing about "trust" in election results. But what else should we expect from them, after all? It's just one more component feeding inherent uncertainty.

Thursday, January 3, 2008
Eureka Times-Standard OpEd: Hand-counting ballots can work
Click here to see what it looks like when citizens not only watchdog election conditions, but fiercely tend to the way the media covers the issue. "He-said/She-said" doesn't truly create balance in all news articles, instead often creating false balance. Dig into this where you live.

Friday, December 21, 2007
NY Judge Threatens To Jail NY Board of Elections (Was He Just Kidding?)
(1 comments) The Department of Justice has taken the upper hand in forcing NY to accept secret vote counting and discredited electronic voting machines. Judge Gary Sharpe sneered at input from election integrity advocates around the nation, and repeatedly threatened to hold members of the State Board of Elections in contempt of court if their HAVA compliance plan is not ready by January 4.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Voter Confidence Committee Joins Amicus Brief in Federal Election Lawsuit
Humboldt County election watchdog group The Voter Confidence Committee (VCC), together with more than 30 other election integrity groups and advocates from coast to coast, have joined an amicus brief filed just prior to Friday's deadline in the case of US v NY State Board of Elections (Case # 1:06-cv-263). The Department of Justice is suing New York State to compel compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Humboldt Registrar Explains Opposition to Hand-Counting Paper Ballots
(1 comments) Peter B. Collins recently broadcast his syndicated talk radio show live from the Eureka Theater. Members of the Voter Confidence Committee were on the program discussing their proposal for hand-counting paper ballots. The local Registrar called in unexpectedly and said what?

Sunday, November 25, 2007
Time To Check Your Least
Some days it feels like real life interferes with the work of saving the world. It can be tough to find the right balance. "The least you can do" is a concept that aims for tangible and concrete progress in small steps. The least *you* can do may be more than you think. Take a few minutes to check your least.

Saturday, August 18, 2007
Getting the Election Watchdog Message in the Media
(3 comments) Today, the Eureka Times-Standard has published a guest opinion column I wrote. It carries more than just the message that my community group, the Voter Confidence Committee, is building a campaign for hand-counted paper ballots. It goes beyond reporting highlights from Secretary of State Debra Bowen's Top To Bottom Review. This

Tuesday, August 14, 2007
How To Forecast Labor, Cost and Time For Hand-Counting Paper Ballots
(1 comments) At the risk of being immodest, what I'm about to describe has the potential to greatly advance the hand-counted paper ballot (HCPB) movement in every community.

Thursday, August 9, 2007
What Have We Learned About Elections Lately?
(1 comments) CA Secretary of State Debra Bowen has put election integrity in the headlines. Humboldt County has produced some great and some terrible reporting. This article breaks it down and summarizes conditions for continued use of Diebold's so-called "electronic voting machines."

Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Bowen Review Lights Up Humboldt Media
(1 comments) CA SoS Bowen is making big waves with her Top To Bottom Review of voting systems throughout the state. The Humboldt County media is starting to notice, and turn to me for comment.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Reflections on Independence, Volume 5
For many people it is difficult to think of July 4 as Independence Day, or a day to celebrate. This year, take some time think about what it really means to you. Read the master change manual, The Declaration of Independence, and see where your mind goes. This is the fifth installment in my annual Reflections on Independence series.

Sunday, April 29, 2007
Who Does Not Consent?
College students in my community staged an event called "We Do Not Consent." As the author of a book and blog called "We Do Not Consent," I was invited to speak.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007
If Venezuelans Have a Dictator, What Have We Here?
(9 comments) A newspaper editor's own words are used to describe America's current dictatorship. These are some pointed questions for those who see only what they want to see.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Who Is Inside America's Trojan Horse?
Where should we look to find people trying their darnedest to do the right thing, only to be unwittingly serving the empire? Look inside America's Trojan Horse.

Sunday, October 22, 2006
The Delacroy Parable, aka Man of the Year movie review
Man of the Year is far more than a vehicle for the humor of Robin Williams. It is quite possibly the gift we've been waiting for to enable us to reach a critical mass of people who understand there is no basis for confidence in reported election results.

Friday, October 20, 2006
Peter B. Collins Received Very Well in Humboldt
Peter B. Collins came to Humboldt on Wednesday, broadcasting his afternoon talk radio show from the theater in the Dell'Arte School of Physical Arts in Blue Lake, CA. Over 100 people were in the theater audience for this show heard in five cities as well as online. Wednesday's show, devoted entirely to issues of election integrity, is archived here (.mp3).

Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Aren't We Being Taken For Fools? Letter to the Editor
Yes, we are being taken as fools.Government (and media) legitimacy comes only from the consent of the governed.Isn't it foolish for the 92% of us who know better to consent to such election conditions?We must count the ballots by hand,the most transparent,secure and verifiably accurate way to conduct an election. Isn't it foolish to assign legitimacy to any government that prefers counting votes in secret?

Thursday, September 21, 2006
Voter Confidence Resolution ADOPTED By Palo Alto City Council
By a 5-3 vote on Monday night, the City Council of Palo Alto, CA adopted the Voter Confidence Resolution (VCR). Palo Alto joins Arcata, CA as the second city to declare that current election conditions ensure inconclusive outcomes, which by definition, means there is no basis for confidence in the reported results.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006
So much for checks and balances, welcome to absolute power
(1 comments) On Tuesday afternoon a San Diego judge dismissed a lawsuit on the grounds that the court has no jurisdiction over determining membership in the U.S. Congress. The result is that House Speaker Dennis Hastert has appointed Brian Bilbray to represent CA's 50th district, nullifying an election by terminating it prior to certification or even the completion of the vote counting.

Saturday, August 26, 2006
San Diego Voters' Lawsuit Changing the Dialog
(3 comments) The lawsuit contesting the election of Brian Bilbray to CA's 50th Congressional District was in court Friday. While the plaintiffs were fending off a defense motion to dismiss the case, it was already a victory in that the defense, like the plaintiffs, was arguing the election be deemed invalid.

Monday, August 21, 2006
92% of Americans Favor Public's Right To Know How Votes Are Counted
A new Zogby poll will be released on Tuesday revealing 92% of Americans support transparency and verifiability in elections. Attorney Paul Lehto commissioned the study and calls it one of the greatest "shots in the arm" the election integrity movement has yet had.

Thursday, August 3, 2006
Legal Challenges to Election Conditions From Coast to Coast
(5 comments) Voters are increasingly turning to the courts to seek relief against election conditions that provide no basis for confidence in the results reported.

Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Lehto Launches Legal Challenge to San Diego Election
Attorney Paul Lehto has risen to prominence challenging election conditions that produce inconclusive outcomes and provide no basis for confidence. His latest case in San Diego.

Friday, July 21, 2006
Even Less Than No Basis For Confidence, One Year Later
The most timely Voter Confidence Resolution (VCR) has received media attention all over the country and beyond and is celebrating its first anniversary.

Friday, July 7, 2006
Reflections on Independence, Volume 4
This is the fourth entry in my annual series of Reflections on Independence. This year is really more of a progress report than a philosophical grok on the meaning of Independence.

Tuesday, July 4, 2006
No more blind trust in unverifiable elections
Humboldt County, CA election integrity advocate challenges local media not to report what can't be proven and what hasn't been independently verified.