How to win in November - A true story

[benburch]

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/

[benburch]

1. Who else has a story?

Post it here. I think others need to hear how elections are done.

[aldian159]

8. I did something very similar in Cook Co.

but being cook county, it was FAR easier, as there are like 7 Republicans in Chicago, and about 14 in Cook Co.

[benburch]

15. Just keep doing it!

And bring your friends!

[adadem]

2. An important thing that must be done

is to get every Democrat to write Letters to the Editor to refute the GOP lies in every newspaper throughout the nation.

We must flood the newspapers with the truth. We must watch the press from "the other side" to quickly refute the lies that will be coming.

This must be a team effort because there are restrictions on how often each person may submit. I sincerely believe every Dem county party should get their communications committees ready.

[Capn Sunshine]

3. I would only caution to expect more of the same

The stories being circulated about the GOP GOTV effort being organized RIGHT NOW shows they have seen the error of their ways and know that to get the election close enough to steal like the last time will require a serious doubling of their efforts.

We should all be aware of the legailities and either have an attorney accompany us or have one on call as they are going to ramp up the harassment angle of this big time.

[benburch]

6. Amen.

And that was the point of posting this now.

We have to prepare.

We need to have the people on line.

They need to know what sort of illegal crap they will be faced with.

The need to expect arrest for legal activities.

The need to have the fire in their bellies to do what needs to be done.

As Winston Churchill is reported to have said;

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

This is the lesson that we need to go out with on Election Day. Fight tooth and nail. Give not an inch.

-Ben

[Renew Deal]

12. The county office should have a long list of attornies on hand.

Thet's easy in NY.

[sleipnir]

4. How to Win in November: Nominate Clark or Dean....end of story.

n/t

[benburch]

7. If you think that's the end of the story...

... you haven't been paying attention.

[Renew Deal]

11. I wish it was that easy.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. What are palm cards

Dumb question, sorry

[benburch]

9. Not a dumb question...

... as I didn't explain!

A palm card is a small version of the Democratic Sample Ballot, which is a listing of each race, and the Democrat that is up for it in that election. Voters are permitted by law to take such cards into the polling place, to assist them in their voting. Other interests have their own sample ballots. Of course, the GOP's sample ballots contain only the GOP candidates for a given election, but sometimes Unions will endorse members of both parties, so their sample ballots would not be drawn down party lines.

Giving out the palm cards is the last moment when the Democratic Party can have legal contact with a voter at election time.

I would offer people a card and say "Thank you so much for voting today! Please accept this sample ballot, and I wish you would consider voting for our fine slate of Democratic Candidates."

Very simple. The essence of free speech in a Democracy.

And it threatened the GOP to no end.

-Ben

[Renew Deal]

10. I have a similar story and some other info.

I watch 3-4 poll location sin my area, but I open and close one specific one. I was at another just after opening. I was saying hi and looking around. This puke parks his car right in front of the polling place and it was covered with stickers. I said something to him about it. I told him that it has to go. He was an arrogant prick about it. I told him that I would remove the stickers my self if he didn't move it. He threatened to kill me or something like that. A cop came and I am not sure what happened after that. I think the cop told me to back off or something. Anyway, the other clown left soon after. Other than that, I didn't have much trouble. Poll watching can be either really hard or really easy. People do all kinds of underhanded shit. Someone will bring a box of donuts and under the lid, there is a sticker for a candidate. That needs to be ripped off.

I watched in November for local candidate. I introduced myself at the end of the day so I can collect the poll numbers. Some lady starts berating me for something. She was pissed because the Dem's don't bring donuts and coffee. I told her to blame it on Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy and the pukes had extra money. Anyway, I was getting pissed and I told her to tell me her name so I could discuss it with the board of elections. She backed off.

There are so many things that need to be done close to election day. You can make calls till 9PM. But the east coast can still call the west coast. You can also do visibility and lit dropping at homes after 9PM. You can deluge the place with lawn signs and other signs from midnight to 3. Then you can sleep from 3-5:30. At that point it's election day. It's time to hit your polling location.

[benburch]

13. Sleep is for wimps...

I was putting together election day packets for other poll watchers until midnight the night before...

:-)

[nwstrn]

14. Great story!

I live in Missouri and am looking forward to working for the Democrats this year. You may recall that we had our own controversy in St. Louis in 2000, when hundreds of people were almost turned away from their polling place and preventing from voting due to grossly understaffed precincts. Republicans almost started a riot to prevent votes from being cast (sound familiar?).

[benburch]

16. How to find your local Democratic Party Organization

Hit the "Get Local" tab at http://www.democrats.org/