Somebody Taking Action--Voter Confidence Resolution & Local Politics

[autorank]

Here's a great reminder on acting locally. The Voter Confidence Resolution is discussed in this great article by Warren Stewart. Since it was passed, it's been used as a key method of advocating for better standards by local officials. DU's own GuvWurld is the force behind this and the person working to unite CA activists to aggressively go after Diebold for violations of state code. This is a great model for other local communities and can have a huge impact on 2006. It's not too late. Check it out.

VoteTrustBlog

Arcata, The Voter Confidence Resolution, and the Importance of Paying Attention

By Warren Stewart, Director of Legislative Issues and Policy, VoteTrustUSA
September 16, 2005
The city council of Arcata in Humboldt County, California recently passed a “Voter Confidence Resolution” as reported in an article (link) that has been reprinted on many websites. The resolution, a year and a half in the making and promoted by Humboldt resident and Green Party Presidential candidate David Cobb, gained the support of a wide range of citizens and public interest groups. It establishes a specific platform of election reform measures aimed at encouraging participation, enhancing representation, and ensuring confidence in the accuracy and security of the election process.

One of the resolution’s authors, Dave Berman, feels this type of initiative, if adopted by cities throughout the country, could have a decisive impact on voter confidence. It would also focus attention on the election process. The article quoted Berman pointing out that ”we must first change the national dialog". Berman’s call for a national dialog of the election process seems both obvious and elusive. It also seems crucial to the cause of ensuring the integrity of our elections. The efforts of those supporting the resolution in Arcata also highlight the necessity of local action.

The resolution rests on a comprehensive eight-point platform that addresses clean money campaigns, election holiday, equal time provisions, more open presidential debates, and preferential voting. It also calls for publicly owned and operated voting processes, voter verified paper records, and public and local citizen oversight of vote counting.

http://fairvote.org/?page=200&articlemode=showspecific&showarticle=1001

[gordontron]

1. thats great!

thanks for lightening up my day :)

the actual meat of the thing is great too:

"The heart of Arcata’s resolution is an eight-point comprehensive election reform platform, including:
(1) voting processes owned and operated entirely in the public domain, and
(2) clean money laws to keep all corporate funds out of campaign financing, and
(3) a voter verified paper ballot for every vote cast and additional uniform standards determined by a nonpartisan nationally recognized commission, and
(4) declaring election day a national holiday, and
(5) counting all votes publicly and locally in the presence of citizen witnesses and credentialed members of the media, and
(6) equal time provisions to be restored by the media along with a measurable increase in local, public control of the airwaves, and
(7) presidential debates containing a minimum of three candidates, run by a nonpartisan commission comprised of representatives of publicly owned media outlets, and
(8) preferential voting and proportional representation to replace the winner-take-all system for federal elections."

I wonder if we can't get this passed locally here in Seattle.... I'm up for it if anyone has any idea how to go about that

[GuvWurld]

2. I can help you

First I would suggest that you consider if there are any city councilmembers or county supervisors who you think would be open to this. If so, get an appointment with them ASAP. Don't go alone. Take at least one person with you.

Get on the agenda to speak at meetings of local progressive orgs in your community. Ask them to endorse the resolution and/or assign someone to join you in meeting with local government. Build bridges in the community by also presenting to tougher audiences.

Start working your local mailing list and encourage people to contact local media and government. Push for a town hall forum on election conditions. Give people an opportunity to discuss and debate what eight (or whatever number) reforms you think would be needed in conjunction in order to ensure conclusive election outcomes and create a basis for confidence in the results reported.

Ultimately, the process is about consensus building. You want to get in front of many different audiences and give people a chance to weigh in on how this reads. I mean, it would be ideal if you can get acceptance of the language as it reads now. But know that the Voter Confidence Resolution adopted in Arcata, CA is meant to be a template that can be modified in other towns.

These are the three key aspects that should remain unchanged:

1. The way it works now we're guaranteed inconclusive outcomes and we'll never have unanimous agreement about election results.

2. The Voter Confidence Resolution contains a comprehensive election reform platform designed to ensure conclusive outcomes and create a new basis for confidence in U.S. federal elections.

3. Since the Consent of the Governed is not being sought, we ask: Has the Consent of the Governed been withdrawn, YET?

As more communities emphasize these points, regardless of minor differences that might appear in each town's election reform platform, what we achieve is cumulative impact. The more repetition, the closer we will necessarily move to a tipping point. It may take 20 or 50 or 100 towns, but at some point the answer to that question must change from NO, to YES, the Consent of the Governed HAS been withdrawn. This is where we need to be if we are going to genuinely shift the balance of power between this illegitimate government and We The People.

Voter Confidence Resolution
Guide To The Voter Confidence Resolution (brief overview of talking points and strategy)
Blueprint For Peaceful Revolution (the big picture)

[gordontron]

3. thanks

I think this is doable in Seattle and Washington State in general because we had some big problems with the last governers race. Some reforms are being implemented already, but they aren't very groundbreaking. I'll see what I can do. :hi:

[GuvWurld]

4. Please keep us posted

I would also write about your work on the GuvWurld Blog. PM me if you want to subscribe or use the button at the site.

[gordontron]

5. well here goes nothing... :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=184x7052

If we can't launch this thing from the DU I'll talk to some of my friends and see what we can start outside the message board.

[GuvWurld]

6. Excellent gordontron!

Always look for the least you can do and commit to doing at least that much. It also helps to pick those "least" steps according to what will create an immediate tangible impact AND have longer range implications. The suggestions I made above follow this meme and so does your other thread. Right on!

:toast: :yourock:


Also see: Activism As Public Service.

[GuvWurld]

7. Kick (eom)

[GuvWurld]

8. Kick (eom)