Reply #16: One step at a time.

[pat_k]

The first step is to let our leaders know we haven't been happy with the conduct of our elections for some time. Now, they are making things intolerable by putting in electronic voting machines that secretly count our votes.

The "Message to every election official. . ." in the original post is a demand for paper ballots that are counted in a way that is open to public observation and a declaration that "We are not going to tolerate the intolerable and we will do everything in our power to hold you personally responsible if you implement (or have implemented) an intolerable system."

There are two key tasks in this first step:

1. Talk to others in your area, let them know what you are doing and ask them to a) sign on to the declaration, b) help in efforts to hold local election officials personally responsible if they conduct an election that does not instill public confidence in the results, c) help spread the word.
   
   Note: The message, "We are watching and will catch corruption" could be delivered in a separate action if you want to keep your demand for confidence focused on electronic voting (or whatever intolerable condition you anticipate locally -- e.g., discriminatory poll-tax lines.)


2. Find out who your election officials and local administrators are and pay them each a personal visit. Deliver your declaration and let them know that it doesn't matter where they are in the process or what legal authority they invoke. You and your fellow residents -- the people they were hired to serve -- are saying "No Way!" Tell them you will be visiting again as your numbers grow.

That's basically it for the first step. As you engage people you are challenging the belief that we are powerless and you are reminding your election officials (and yourselves) that they are there to serve you. It is all part and parcel of reminding ourselves that this is OUR government; that the administrative and legal institutions of government are NOT alien things we must passively submit to (alienation of the governed from their government is something the fascists cultivate and capitalize on).

Next steps are dependent on the first step -- how many people you engage, what skills they bring to the table, and so on. Might also be dependent on what else is happening in your state or locality. It could make sense to coordinate with people who are pursing a legal strategy on possible "post-election" actions.