Strategies to Protect the Vote on Nov. 7

[sarahlee]

There are a number of ideas for actions to "Protect The Vote" on election day. I thought it might be a good idea to post them all in one thread and then try to keep it kicked or reposted up to midnight Pacific Time on Nov. 7th.

I will post the three I know of in individual replies below.

Of course the most important strategy is to Vote and to get everyone you know to vote - nothing can overcome corruption like everyone deciding to take their part in democracy seriously and voting.

Some inspiration:

I have always been curious and horrified at the prospect of this time, what they would do if they actually had unlimited power. Now we know. Everyone here is feeling pretty confident right now...the polls are good, momentum is on our side, the Forces Of Evil are suffering setback after setback...especially in George Bush's War. But is it enough?

All of my life the GOP has stood for Greed, Oppression and Power, but their true corruptness and their true hate and their true avarice has been muted by the fact that they have been checked either by a Democratic Congress or a Democratic President.

Now it's all out in the open, when the Republicans have their way....EVERYONE suffers, except the top 1%.

Is this the America we want?

Is this the America that the average citizen wants?

Is this America at all?

Now......right NOW, my friends we have an absolutely unique opportunity. An HISTORIC opportunity!

This election is NOT a referendum on Iraq, or tax cuts, or sexual predation.

This election is a referendum on RepublicanISM itself.

This, my friends, is a REVOLUTION!!!

If we work hard (as i know we are) we can defeat them at the polling places. If we spread the word and Work Harder and GET OUT THE VOTE!!! .....................we can CRUSH THEM!

And this is what we must do, but ....even that is not enough!

I call on you now, I call on every Kossak, every NIONer, every member of the left Blogosphere...everyone you know, every one you meet, everyone you talk to on the phone....Including the NSA...to make this not just an election, not just a referendum...but a REVOLUTION in America.

NOT just right now but AFTER the election as well!

If we are going to take this fucking country back and make it into what it CAN be, we must destroy Republicanism as viable alternative to TRUE democracy.

We need to PUSH for investigations into corruption, the war, sex scandals, torture and secret prisons and the HUGE pile of Elephant shit in our living rooms and kitchens.

We need to PUSH for the repeal of the Military Commissions Act that codifies torture and abolishes habeas corpus.

We need to PUSH to overturn the NSA spying and covert operations against our fellow Americans.

We will need to PUSH the Democrats to Investigate, Impeach and Imprison the corrupt criminal enterprise known as The Republican Party.

WE the People, need to be The Spine of The Democrats.

AND ALL ALONG THE WAY WE NEED TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS WHAT REPUBLICANISM DOES TO OUR COUNTRY!

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

We need to destroy the MYTH that Republicans are responsible stewards of the economy and war...and prove and yell and scream out at the top of our lungs just how much damage and destruction Republicanism has done to our nation and the world!

Every four years, in America, we have the chance for a bloodless Revolution. This time our opportunity is in the midterms, the opportunity to change governments, to change minds....to truly change the world.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/25/203451/61#429


Update:
If you think this is a good idea to keep these ideas front and center through Nov. 7th, please consider a recommend.

If you are willing to repost with any updates over the weekend or on Monday, volunteer below.

[sarahlee]

1. #1 Video the Vote

Video the Vote
http://videothevote.org /


Promo Video - Watch and pass along
http://www.videothevote.org/promo.html?id=DaEECHjWptU

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaEECHjWptU

[Parche]

2. strategy

We need a good strategy to defeat their strategery......

[sarahlee]

6. Well I have posted 4 ides

the first being getting everyone to vote.

I'm ready to hear more.

[sarahlee]

3. #2 Tenacity as a tactic

I want to raise a tactical issue I hope will get appropriate attention. I'm talking about planning for the prospect of long lines, long wait times, and the need for serious staying power the evening of Nov. 7th. I suggest we hope for the best, but prepare for the worst...

<...>


I've done voter registration work. I've done GOTV work. I've done canvassing and cold calling. I recognize how much effort goes into the street presence. I also recognize the importance of a motivated electorate. We need to plan, and I would say budget for the likelihood that voters in key precincts will face long lines, few machines, and long wait times. It is going to be cold in most of the country.

Some people have talked about the need to march in the street if the election is stolen. It would be a hell of a lot better to sit down in line and refuse to move out of line BEFORE the election is stolen. Marching AFTER the fact is a distant second option.

People need to be emotionally prepared to stand on line and refuse to give up. Supporting that effort is a significant logistical problem. We need to really think about the resources needed to provide comfort to those who will stay in line come hell or high water (people/food/beverages/etc).

Based on my experience, it is extremely powerful both in terms of news coverage and recruiting people to vote if there are long lines where people refuse to leave. As we approach the finish line, strategy will have to give way to tactics. We've got to build a presence early and keep it strong all day long.

We did it in Philadelphia back in the 80s when Wilson Goode ran for mayor the first time. It was historic. The lines in predominantly black voting precints went around the block in many locations. They basically put markers at the end of the line at 8:00 PM. If you were already in line, you could not be denied the right to vote. We were lucky the weather was mild that night. We didn't finish voting in some precincts until after 11:00 pm. But no one was complaining. People were celebrating. We knew we had won. If we are gong to turn things around this time, I think we have to repeat that sort of experience.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/27/02951/874

[sarahlee]

4. #3 A Blue Revolution

When the polls close, we propose that Democrats across the country gather outside their County Election Office for a candlelight vigil to Count Every Vote, all wearing the same color: Blue.

Imagine a Blue Revolution, every bit as joyous and historic as the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the Cedar Revolution Lebanon, the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, and the other democratic revolutions of recent years - right here in the United States of America.

More...
http://democrats.com/bluerevolution

[grizmaster]

5. Work at a polling place

I worked the primary as a poll supervisor and I'm doing it again on the 7th.

[sarahlee]

7. Bravo! I'm Driving people in to vote

I've got a van and live in a poor rural area where some people might not vote becaue they don't have a working vehicle or the fuel to get in - so I will be driving several hundred miles to bring people into town to vote if they need the ride.

[grizmaster]

8. you get 'em there

and I'll make sure there's no shenanigans inside

[sarahlee]

10. Its a deal

I also got my sister to volunteer to be a poll watcher and a friend to be an election judge.

[BelgianMadCow]

9. Considering K&R... considering...and some more...

yup!
:-)

[sarahlee]

11. Taking the GOP GOTV effort a bit off track

NOTE: I know there have been a number of similar and even better ideas posted here at DU (I've taken those back to Kos - I'm a cross pollinator) so - post the best GOP GOTV fillibuster ideas as a reply to this post. Make it easy for busy people to find quickly.

Some ides and things from
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/27/15151/490

The vaunted Republican "Get Out The Vote" machinery is widely championed by pundits left and right as the GOP's one advantage that can rescue it from electoral domination this November. This diary entry will expose the workings of this machine, and will also inform you how you can throw a wrench into it.

The most crucial element of any GOTV campaign is the identification of voters who are inclined to support its candidate or party. This usually entails volunteers making phone calls and walking precincts in the weeks and months preceding an election.

I'm writing this diary in part because I've encountered a couple of threads here by people complaining about receiving calls or visits from Republican volunteers. This is a part of the Republicans' voter ID process.

If you receive one of these calls, you should know that they are merely trying to find out whether you are likely to support them. They are not trying to convince you of anything. They are true believers and there's nothing you can say that will convince them to vote blue. Therefore, when they call you, don't get into a protracted debate with them. It's pointless. Here's what you should do when they call you and ask whether they "can count on your support for the president November 7":

Tell them yes. Tell them you support the president. Yes I am telling you to lie. For those who would say, "hey, lying is wrong, it even says so in the ten commandments posted on the front steps of the courthouse," I counter that in this case, telling the truth is assisting the GOP in its GOTV efforts. Which do you think is more wrong: lying, or helping the GOP retain its majorities in congress?

So, swallow your pride and tell them how terrible it would be for America's national security if Democrats were elected, and how you're afraid that "the Democrat party" is going to raise your taxes and tank the economy and destroy the fabric of the American Quilt by allowing dudes to get married or whatever. Don't worry. Just because you say it doesn't mean you believe it. What is important is that THEY believe it.

If you tell the truth, the volunteers will take you off their list and never bother you again. They won't want to waste any more time on you. This is not good. You should make them waste as much time on you as possible.

In the comments:

Two years ago the local Republican Party had voters call the Democratic Party for rides to the polls. We know this because the "voters" told the drivers. They also called for rides and gave bad directions etc.

They are as bad on a micro level as a macro.

We live in a society where more and more information is drawn from us every day, in so many ways, and so much of the time it's used to consolidate the harmful informational system that sustains modern "free" market capitalism. I view this GOTV as simply one particularly insidious form of such info-power, and just as I do with other marketing calls, I feel perfectly fine with sending "bad information" into the mix.

Actually.... you should all be busy on the phone doing your own GOTV so that "they" will get a busy signal. Either that or at the polls. No excuses for not doing SOMETHING.

Lying is wrong. It brings you down to their level. Just tell them that, "You can count on me to do the right thing on election day."

I can't really go along with the OP's suggestion, however, one thing I wouldn't mind doing is leaving these GOTV callers on hold for as long as humanly possibly. Once you know that they are from the GOP just ask them if they can hold on for a minute, set the phone down and walk away. That'll leave them less time to call others.

it's not much, but every once in a while when you search for "Rick Santorum" and you see a sponsored ad for the RNC go ahead and click on it. you just wasted .05 to $1.50 of theirs.

again, it's not much, but death from a thousand paper-cuts and all.

....

(just don't try to fake it or go overboard, because then it will be "click-fraud" and google won't charge them at all)

from: http://www.gop.com/

IT'S TIME FOR VICTORY! 72 HOUR TASK FORCE

Get-Out-The-Vote volunteers will mean the difference this year in close elections across the country. Please fill in your contact information, and then select which days, times, and types of activities work best for you.

Activities for Election Day:

Positions needed:

Poll Checker, Door to Door, and Phone Bank

Hours 6:30 am to 9:00 pm

Sign up...

I know there have been a number of similar and even better ideas posted here at DU (I've taken those back to Kos - I'm a cross pollinator) so - post the best GOP GOTV fillibuster ideas as a reply to this post. Make it easy for busy people to find quickly.

[sarahlee]

12. Kicking and going to bed

[sarahlee]

13. Kicking for Sat. am n/t

[sarahlee]

14. Texas machines now flipping votes from Democrats to Republicans

It is happening. - do you have a plan for protecting the vote?

Jefferson County Voters Continue To Raise Concerns About Voting Machines]
October 28,2006



Friday night, KFDM reported about people who had cast straight Democratic ticket ballots, but the touch-screen machines indicated they had voted a straight Republican ticket.

Some of those voters including Lamar University professor, Dr. Bruce Drury, believe the problem is a programming error.

Saturday, KFDM spoke to another voter who says it's not just happening with straight ticket voting, he says it's happening on individual races as well, Jerry Stopher told us when he voted for a Democrat, the Republican's name was highlighted.

http://www.kfdm.com/engine.pl?station=kfdm&id=17343&template=breakout_dayportvideo.shtml&dateformat=%M+%e,%Y

[sarahlee]

16. From somone who works with these machines at TX Kos

To this, may I suggest some Action Items:

Get word to poll volunteers and candidates that they remind Voters that at the end of the process there is a confirmation screen and they need to CONFIRM THEIR VOTES.

Post it on your blog, email your friends and Democratic volunteers.

And may I suggest that you not call it FRAUD yet. Why on the flip.
krazypuppy :: Texas Machines are Flipping Democratic votes to GOP
I take the issue of election fraud very seriously. There is no doubt in my mind that irregularities have occured to put it politely. This isn't conspiracy stuff - it's just human nature.

When people are so obsessed about something, they can rationalize anything - even changing votes.

And this without taking greed, ambition and other darker motives into consideration.

However, I feel like we have to stop screaming fraud the instant we see some irregularity because it just makes people roll their eyes and ignore what is perhaps the single most important election voting issue we currently face.

This story does not prove there was fraud involved. There could be fraud but it could also be a technological issue. We have to investigate it thoroughly and get it to the point where "they" can't deny our evidence and are compelled to investigate it further in an official capacity.

Some things on these Touch Screens:

* 1. The Touchscreens I worked with constantly required tuning. They like any machine need a tune up.

* 2. Furthermore, their calibration can be off very easily by human error (doesn't even need to be intention).

* 3. Now throw in screen sensitivity or damage (simply from use), dust, pen (if there is one) sensitivity, etc... - and you've got enough variable that you really do need to watch your input.

Now back to the story:

* 1. It's too early to scream fraud - but don't think I'm not suspicious. Why? B/c we don't have proof and we don't want people to roll their eyes & ignore this VERY IMPORTANT issue.

* 2. HOwever, we do know that coupled with the Florida machines that were flipping Dem votes into GOP votes, that this can't be a random event. Doesn't have to be fraud - could just be machine error/calibration. The point being that election officials need to take the complaints seriously & not roll their eyes.

* 3. The BEST tool to prevent this "mistake" is to get the word to voters to check their votes. They are our eyes and ears. And the more people that point out irregularities, the less likely people will say it was the User's fault.

To this, again, I say we post this everywhere and get word to poll volunteers and candidates that they remind Voters that at the end of the process there is a confirmation screen and they need to CONFIRM THEIR VOTES.

And this means ALL voters - Republicans included. Hey, everybody should be on the same page on this - who wants to wonder if their votes are being counted, right?

This is Voter Issue - not just a Democratic one.

http://soapblox.net/texaskos/showDiary.do?diaryId=1934

[sarahlee]

15. Record the Vote

Don't trust the voting machines.

I believe that technology can save us. This year, when you go to vote, use your cameraphone to record the event, from the moment you step into the booth. Once there is an error, it's too late to start recording.

If everything comes out normal, discard the video.

If anything unusual happens, upload it to YouTube, tag it with the tag recordthevote2006, and we'll chronicle the details here. If you can't upload to YouTube, just send us an email. We'll do our best to help.

If you take photos, upload them to Flickr with the same tag.

Together we can document the problems inherent in these new systems and make a real difference.

http://recordthevote.blogspot.com/