At the outset, is it too much to ask for Dave Matthews to be present during all subsequent Zoom meetings? He can offer a short discourse on geo-politics, guitars, and why UFO's prefer the Dave Matthews Band.
Cool? Okay.
Vote Safe is a cross-partisan coalition of election administrators and organizations that endorse the simple principle that every American has the right to vote safely during the pandemic.
Vote Safe will help fund and empower an urgent campaign to protect this years election from the challenges of COVID-19. Vote Safe is chaired by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge (R. PA), and former Governor Jennifer Granholm (D. MI).
Vote Safe operates under RepresentUS, the nation's largest grassroots anti-corruption campaign, bringing together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in-between to pass anti-corruption laws in cities and states to stop political bribery, end secret money in politics, and fix our broken elections.
Secretary Tom Ridge.
"Worried about the election? In spite of the pandemic, you must make sure to vote. I am working proudly as a Republican with Gov. Granholm... be certain you vote. Absentee ballot is the way to do this...it's not complicated at all...you just send in the ballot..."
"Is it okay I'm in my parents basement?"
"No."
"Can I fix my power steering pump without having to replace the whole power- steering unit? And is it safe to vote from home?" Sarah Silverman
"Yes it is. Just mail in your vote. And this isn't Car Talk."
"Is the absentee ballot process safe and secure?" An unnamed Muppet.
"Yes it is. And for the record, I'm not John Ashcroft." Tom Ridge.
"I saved democracy."
"We need people fighting for democracy. Every once in a while it gets tested. Vote by mail fraud isn't real." Ed Helms.
Board Members
"Ronald Reagan spoke of that shining city on a hill. More recently it looks like the opposite of that... there is a declining trust in government. 74% of all voters were concerned with voter fraud. We must avert a constitutional crisis. Vote by mail is the same as absentee voting." Josh Silverman. Board of directors. RepresentUS.
The Big Picture
"The root of the crisis, the elephant in the room; the failure of the political system. I mean, the failure of the government itself. Think of any issue you care about, the political system itself is standing in the way. The preferences of the average American appear to have zero effect on public policy. RepresentUS was formed to solve America's political crisis. We need a plan to go around Congress, passing laws in the states." Joshua Graham Lynn. Board of directors. RepresentUS.
"Passing state laws leads to victory." Mike Bloomberg.
"A key event triggers state activity that leads to change of federal law." J. Law.
RepresentUS aims to bring together conservatives and progressives. The current system incentivizes bad behaviour. When gerrymandering is fixed, competition is incentivized.
The group is also hoping to pass ranked choice voting. In ranked choice voting, if your first choice candidate doesn't win, your vote still counts for the second choice.
They are also pressing for open primaries in all states, automatic voter registration, and vote by mail.
Drunk Social Distancing History.
The History of the Absentee Ballot.
Opening crawl.
1864. It is a time of civil war in the New Republic. The incumbent candidate, President Lincoln, is unpopular with soldiers. Gen. George B McClellan is urging Pres. Lincoln to make peace with the Confederacy.
1864.September. The Battle of Atlanta, or How I learned to stop worrying and count votes during a national crisis.
Union soldiers take the victory at the Battle of Atlanta as a sign they can win. The absentee ballot is created.
In that election, Pres. Lincoln wins 78% of the military vote, 55% of the popular vote.
"Lincoln had the balls to put country before himself. Democracy is worth fighting for." Some unkempt TV show host.
Vote by mail increases turnout as much as 14%. One in four Americans voted by mail in 2016. The total voter fraud totals in 2016 were .00006%.
"Your chances of dating a millionaire, and your chances of getting injured by a toilet are .0046% still larger than voter fraud." Who knew?
Vote by mail has no partisan effects. It increases voter IQ.
The 2020 election is a short term crisis. We must find a way to vote safely in a pandemic, utilizing vote by mail and safe, socially distanced polling stations.
Link. Politifact.
Click Here
Delay the election?
Trump's rhetoric is working. 49% of all voters believe in voter fraud being a real issue.
A nightmare election scenario you haven't thought of. The Daily Beast. Link.
Click Here
Failure.
What if we fail in 2020? Americans will not trust election outcomes. The prospect of a dictatorship becomes real. This is not hyperbole.
"If you do nothing, nothing's going to change. Together we can win."
What other ways can we help?
Go to www.representus. Go to "get involved." Click the link and volunteer. It's about everybody doing something for democracy.
FIN.
