--Please Forward to All Who Want To Defeat Bush Now!--
Its a super tight race and what everyone is saying is that turnout is everything. How will you feel if Bush gets 4 more years while you didn't do everything you could to prevent that?! You may feel cynical but we must to try to prevent that catastrophy before it is too late!!!
In this post
(1) Phone banking (from home/cell phone) and in nearby locations to swing states.
(2) A few easy last minute things you can do to help protect the vote-- that don't take too much time-- since it is also urgent to reduce any disenfranchisement!
(3)What you should know before you vote.
(1) The best thing to do is go to
http://acthere.com
Put in your zip code and find out about phone banking and trips to swing states--especially on election day (take a day off). Before election day volunteers are working to get more volunteers to get out the vote on election day. As a result we will have a massive army of GOTV to get people to the polls. But it will only be massive enough (because the other side is doing the same thing) if people like you do this now!
Remember, person to person contacts have been proven to be more effective than phone banking (which is still very good) and the most important day to volunteer is election day.
To do phone banking from home (free cell phone minutes) check here
You can also check
http://www.drivingvotes.org
to join or organize a trip to a swing state for election day and if you leave on election day you should still vote. Check this link for absentee ballot info in your state (sometimes you can go to your county board and vote early if you let them know you will be away on election day). Also using absentee ballots is one way to avoing the new electronic paperless voting machines.
http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_primaries.php
(2) Election Protection
--If you have technology/computer skills you should sign up for "tech watch" so you can help check the integrity of the new electronic voting machines from your home.
http://vevo.verifiedvoting.org/techwatch/
--For just a half an hour you can volunteer to be a "mystery voter" or be present at a poll closing to take a digital picture of vote totals to help check the integrity of voting machines and help report any problem voters are having to a team of lawyers
http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=200690
--The Election Protection Committee is looking for people with video and still cameras to help document voting irregularity and abuses: contact Halle Czechowski at People for the American Way hczechowski@pfaw.org 202- 467-2307
--For More info and actions about vote protection including NEW section on YOUR VOTING RIGHTS AND INFO YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU VOTE --please share this info w/others esp in CA (where people can use a paper ballot instead of the electronic machines if they request it) and swing states, as well as citizens in other countries and students-- and actions such as sending pre-written letters to decision makers (sure its last second, but you never know and it really would only take a few minutes to do all of them if you let the message sponsor save your contact info so they could re-use it for the next letter) see updated
http://ensurevote.com
(3) Here is some of the most important voter info (for full list see
http://ensurevote.com )
--It is also better to vote early--both "early voting" and early in the day. And if you can take photo ID, preferably govt. issue, or utility bill, phone, or paycheck with your address with you when you vote just in case (if your a new voter ID may be required).
--Your polling place may have changed, check your local election office, sample ballot, or look it up here
http://www.mypollingplace.com (if this info conflicts your your local official one, go with the latter).
--If you are having problems voting you should ask poll workers to help you. If you are feeling intimidated or in any way blocked from voting your choice you call these toll free numbers.
--Call 1866-MYVOTE1 to leave a message if you have a problem at the voting booth--include names and time of incident; Call 1866-OURVOTE for immediate legal assistance (only call this one for emergency assistance)
Download this card and take it with you to your polling place:
http://cdn.moveonpac.org/content/pdfs/ep_card.pdf
--For a list of rights in your state, check out this website:
http://www.ourvote.com/
-If you're in line when the polls close, you should stay in line because you're entitled to vote. In many states, your employer must allow you time to vote at some point during the day. You can't be fired for being late due to long polling lines.
--If your name is not on the official voter list but you believe you are eligible to vote in that precinct, even if an election official challenges your vote, you have the right to cast a "provisional ballot."
--A regular ballot is better than a provisional ballot. If your eligibility to vote is questioned, ask if you can cast a regular ballot by providing additional ID or by going to another polling place. Only cast a provisional ballot if there's no alternative available.
Forgot to include link to do phone banking from home (free cellphone minutes) in last message check here
http://www.partyforamerica.org/phone/
Also moveon partiesphone banking parties to swing states on election day if you can't go in person:
http://action.moveonpac.org/gotv/
And ACT also has local phone banking as well as trips to swing states--
http://acthere.com
Take care,
Cheryl Guttman