Now, listen up, folks. In order to win in November, we have to take the fight right down to the wire. That means you folks have to volunteer to do election day activities such as;
- Phone banking
- Providing rides for voters
- Door-to-door get out the vote
- Poll watching
- Election judging
- Being an on-call attorney
- Handing out palm cards to people approaching the polling place
It is this last activity that was the service I performed in 2002. In 2002, the Democratic Party swept Illinois, overturning years of Republican rule here. I credit the most organized Democratic campaign effort this state has seen in living memory.
However, the Republicans used every tactic in the book to intimidate, threaten, and otherwise prevent us from winning. It went way beyond their usual tactics of covering up our roadside signs and covering the landscape with their own. Here is my story, written as emails to friends of mine on the day of the election;
SUBJECT: Wow! What a day! GOP resistance to legal elections in Kane Co. IL
Hey, folks!
I have had more legal hassle trying to hand out sample ballots here than you could possibly imagine, or then again, maybe you could!
Well, my day started at 6 AM when I presented my pollwatcher's credentials to the the precinct, and then I went out to the parking lot of the building (School District U-46 offices) to hand out sample flyers. (More than 100' from the door, of course.)
First I had the COP election judges come out and tell me that I couldn't do any such thing near the polling place. I told them that I certainly could, as I was more than 100' from the door. They said, NOPE, you cannot be on the property at all, and said they were going to call the cops. I retired to a pay phone and called the campaign offices and told them what was going on.
Later, a school district administrator came out and told me I couldn't distribute literature, and I told him, yes, this is public property, and I am 100' from the polls.
Then the cops arrived. They told me that they would like me to be out of the parking lot and on the sidewalk "for safety". I asked the officer if that was a police order, or only a safety advisory? And she replied "just an advisory." I continued to give out literature.
Then the school district official came out and ordered me off the lot, and off "his" sidewalk. and I said, "Is that an order, sir?" And he said, yes, I have the right to keep this school property safe. He then proceeded to go up the street and yank up all of the campaign signs from the street near the school building. I photographed him doing so for later evidence. I went back to the campaign office.
We returned a while later with one of the candidates, and a tape measure, and we measured off 100' from the door to verify we were OK, and started giving out literature. Return Mr. School official. He ordered us off the parking lot, and the candidate asserted his right to be there. And he (the candidate) proceeded to call the State's Attorney's office for clarification. We were told to be off the lot or be arrested for trespass. We retired to the sidewalk at the entrance to the lot, and give out our literature to the people driving in. This actually worked better than trying to work the lot as it was a choke point.
Next, GOP election judges came out, and told me that I was within 100' of the door, and that they were gonna call the cops. I replied that I was now 180' from the door, and that they should feel free to call the cops. I called out office again and they sent out a lawyer. Meanwhile, one of them measured the distance from the street to the door with one of those wheelie gizmos, and seemed to be QUITE disappointed when it clicked past 100 at least 80 feet from the door. Then they asked me for one of my sample ballots. They told me that it was illegal to give out a sample ballot like I was because there were NO REPUBLICAN NAMES on it!!! They filed a challenge. Out comes our lawyer again, and he went in to the polling place and read them the law, and showed them our letter from the State's Attorney saying what we may do near the polls.
Later the State's Attorney himself showed up, flashed his badge, introduced himself, and told me that what I was doing was OK so long as I do not block traffic or force literature on anybody who does not want it (which of course would be battery) and kept at least 100' from the door. I told him that they kept threatening me with arrest, and he replied that he has taken care of that, and that what I was doing was 'the name of the game'. And to stay warm. (First nice words from a Republican all day!)
Other than words not fit for the radio from Republicans when they realized that I was a Democrat, most people are very nice, and I would point out the scarce parking to the people who were coming in to vote.
The local Democratic chairwoman (who has been doing that here for 50 years) spelled me for lunch, and I am home drying my coat in the dryer. (Oh yes, I forgot to mention that all of this activity has been in a nearly freezing rain.)
I head back in 30 minutes.
Voter turnout has been VERY good. We may get 300 in this precinct when 350 is good for a presidential election year here.
Another update after the polls close.
Take care folks!
Later, after the polls did close, I sent a second note;
Oh yeah, the Republican palm-card passers showed up at about 2:30 PM, and didn't make it even an hour in the cold. What WIMPS! I think we showed them how to contest an election. And even if we do not win, they will remember how we executed for decades.
Take care, friends, and give the GOP hell!
Okay, so the second note was not much of a note. I was cold as hell. I took a long warm shower and went down to the Democratic Victory Party to listen to the returns, and eat Pizza. We took the State of Illinois, and we almost took a number of seats in Kane County Illinois, the district of house speaker Dennis Hastert.
I have a feeling that this time out, Dennis Hastert had better watch his ass.
But it will not be an easy win. Nothing worth having can be won easily. Please do contact your local Democratic Committee, and NOW would be a good time.
Thanks for listening!
-Ben Burch
White Rose Society Webmaster
http://www.WhiteRoseSociety.org/