I sent this out to as many people on my personal list as I could think of, who have an interest in voting issues.
Friends from all over --
Although you wouldn't know it from media reports, thousands of citizens from around the country have been hard at work trying to get American voting systems to count votes fairly, transparently, honestly, and verifiably.
Of those, Ellen at Voters Unite is one of the hardest-working, smartest, fairest, most unassuming and most effective activists in the country on this issue, in my judgment. I have been interviewing people involved in this for over two years, and the efforts have been amazing. But, Ellen really stands out.
She published Myth Breakers, a lengthy national guide for election officials, that is unique in its credibility and authoritativeness. She talks with election officials and activists constantly, from around the country. She and her colleague John have amassed a huge library online of stories on elections and voting systems, available to all. They have long freely donated their time and resources to this issue, and have long brushed off suggestions that Voters Unite needs to raise money to survive, saying others need it more.
Finally, the group has asked for a small donation (see below). Please respond as you can, and let others know who would be interested. I'd like to see this group raise $1000, right off the bat. Can we find fifty people who would chip in $20 each?
One of the most fundamental elements of a democracy is to have the right to vote, and have that vote count. Giving money to candidates may be in vain, if the voting mechanisms are flawed.
Women fought for 70 years for the right to vote -- they spoke, they marched (one band of suffragists marched for fifteen days from New Jersey to Washington, D.C. in the winter of 1913), they went on hunger strikes, they went to jail. They were even beaten.
What will you do to preserve the right to vote and have that vote be counted, which is right now in peril? One way to help is to send any amount to help Voters Unite.
Zan
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Message from Ellen and John at Voters Unite
Dear Voters,
VotersUnite.Org has been operating full time for a year without funding and with very few donations. Our own dimes are running out.
Hoping to continue providing our services to the voting integrity community, we are holding our first-ever fund raising drive, starting today. Our goal is to raise $15,000 by May 21.
If each of you donates $10, we will be over half way to our goal. If each of you sends this on to a friend who donates $10, we will reach our goal. (Feel free to give more if you like :-)
To donate, click here:
http://www.votersunite.org/donate.asp. You can choose to pay with Paypal (which takes credit cards) or by mailing a check to our address on that page.
PLEASE PASS THIS EMAIL ON TO YOUR LIST. Or send this link
http://www.votersunite.org/takeaction/alert042805.htmThanks,
~ Ellen Theisen and John Gideon
www.VotersUnite.Org
To see our progress as the days go by, click here
http://www.votersunite.org