12 Ways You Can Safeguard the Vote, Courtesy of YES! Magazine
October 23, 2008
YES! Magazine released today their 12 Ways You Can Safeguard the Vote tool. It contains links to lots of great resources, and tips for what you can do before, on, and after Election Day to make sure that your vote is properly counted.
Here is their checklist:
- Check Your Registration. Make sure there are no errors, mistakes, or discrepancies which would prevent you from being able to vote.
- Vote Now. Vote early, in person or by mail, if you can in your state. Check if you can using Know How To Vote.
- Learn how to vote. Read your voter pamphlet to understand how your paper ballot works, and if voting using an electronic machine, get a clear demonstration first.
- Identify State & Local election officials. Get their names and numbers because these are the people to call if there are problems.
- Vote as early as possible on Election Day to avoid long lines & hassle.
- If you have ID, bring it with you. If you have a cell phone, bring that too.
- Avoid straight-party voting. Vote for each race individually, to make sure your votes each count exactly as you want them to.
- Verify your vote, especially when voting on an electronic voting machine. There have already been cases in states like West Virginia where people used the touch screen to select Barack Obama but had the machine count their vote for John McCain. Just like at the store, get a receipt.
- Observe, Document, Report. If you or anyone else that you see has issues voting, take good notes & inform the authorities using resources such as 866-OUR-VOTE.
- Call your candidate. Encourage them to challenge results you don’t trust. Sign up to help.
- Call your election officials. Hold them accountable to their responsibility to ensure clean elections
- Work towards fair and transparent elections. Learn about election & voting issues, and take action before the next election.
One Love. One II.
P.S. I recently joined the Communications Advisory Board of YES! Magazine.
Interview: Why Early Voting is Both Important and Revolutionary
October 21, 2008
On Monday, I was interviewed as part of a small series on Politics and Technology by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine. We talked at length about early voting, why it’s such a big issue this election, what are the types of good & bad things that we can do with early voting data, and ways that people can find out early voting information with tools like Know How To Vote.
I’m looking forward to talking with Jeff again about Politics and Technology soon.
One Love. One II.
KnowHowToVote.us — Find out how to vote early in your state
October 6, 2008
Now that early voting registration is over in most states, it’s time to think about actually voting!
I think of elections in 3 ways:
- Voter Registration Done. (Everyone is registered, right?)
- Voter Education
- Election Protection
Voter Education means making sure people know the rules & laws of voting in their state so that they can exercise their right to vote in the way that is legal and most convenient for them. Brandon’s list of MI Voting Rights is a great education tool, and something similar exists for each state. Election protection is the process of making sure that every vote that is cast is correctly counted. We’ll get to this one shortly…
Vote Early or Absentee if you can
Here’s why you should vote early:
- If there are issues or problems with your registration, you can have them addressed long before election day.
- Voting earlier means your vote is counted earlier, which means that there’s less of a chance of your vote magically changing on election night.
- It just makes your life easier. Take a look at this great blog post on Early Voting at Daily Kos.
KnowHowToVote.us
In the spirit of Voter Education & encouraging voters to vote smart and vote early, I created a site called Know How To Vote (www.knowhowtovote.us). Know How To Vote will tell you how to vote early in your state (if it’s possible), and how to vote absentee in your state. You can find the info in 2 ways:
- From your cell phone:
Text HOWTOVOTE & your state’s 2-letter abbreviation (e.g. MI for Michigan) to 41411.This will let you know if you can vote early in your state and if voting absentee in your state requires an excuse. It will also give you a website URL that you can go to for more detailed information. - From the web @ www.knowhowtovote.us
Go to the site and type in your state’s 2-letter abbreviation to see detailed early & absentee voting info for any state, including whether you can vote early at all, in person, or by mail, and how to submit your reason/excuse for early/absentee voting according to state law
Find out quickly how to vote early in your state, wherever you are. If you’re talking about voting with your friends at work and on the bus, show them on the spot how to vote early by sending a text message.
In this election season, using technology to help the electoral process is not only easier than ever, it’s more important than ever. Sending text messages is already fun; let’s make it meaningful.
One Love. One II.
P.S. Yes, this was a personal plug :-).
Voting Rights Essentials: Michigan Edition
October 5, 2008
What’s up fam, I wanted to share with our Michigan readers an email I received from the Michigan ACLU regarding essential information surrounding our voting rights. Please read below and thanks Mary!
Dear Friend,
Today marks five weeks before Election Day, and rumors about voting rights are running wild. Read the information below then share the facts about voting rights in Michigan with a friend.
Fact: You have the right to vote without photo ID in Michigan
Just ask to sign the affidavit form at the polls. Michigan’s new photo ID law allows registered voters who don’t have photo identification, or those who have forgotten to bring photo ID, to vote by signing a form at the polls stating they are not in possession of photo ID. Voters without ID need to know their right to vote because Michigan cities are getting this wrong. Shortly before the August 2008 primary election, both the cities of Allen Park and Grand Blanc sent newsletters to city residents stating the need for photo ID with no mention of the affidavit form for those without ID. The Secretary of State estimates that approximately 370,000 Michigan residents have no form of photo identification.
Fact: You have the right to vote in Michigan if you are an ex-felon.
Even those still on probation or parole can register and cast their vote on Election Day. Michigan law only prohibits those serving a sentence on election day from voting. People in jail awaiting trial or sentencing may vote by absentee ballot, and those who have been released but who are on probation or parole may vote after registering.
Fact: You have the right to vote if your home is in foreclosure
The Michigan State Department of Elections is informing poll workers statewide that voters with homes in foreclosure may not lose their right to vote nor be challenged on their right to vote. Those who have moved from their homes may vote in the same precinct up to 60 days after they have left that address.
Fact: You have the right to vote if you wear campaign gear to the polls
You cannot lose your right to vote if you wear a t-shirt, hat, button or other garb endorsing a candidate or an issue into the polling place. You will, however, be asked to remove these items by a poll worker or risk misdemeanor charges. Any and all campaign materials, including apparel, must be a minimum of 100 ft. outside of the polling place at all times.
Fact: You have the right to be free of intimidation or harassment at the polls
Voters should not be intimidated or discouraged from voting by questions like, “Have you paid your rent?” or “Have you paid your child support?” During the last presidential election, ACLU heard stories of voter intimidation like these occurring in precincts with low-income and African American voters. If voters are harassed or intimidated by anyone at the polling place, they should tell a poll worker immediately and call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE, a joint project of state and national civil rights organizations, including the ACLU of Michigan.
Take action here! Knowing your rights is the best way to protect your vote. We urge you to tell five people here their rights on election day.
Thank you for your efforts to ensure a fair election for all Michigan voters. We couldn’t do it without you.
Sincerely,
Kary Moss, Executive Director
ACLU of Michigan
Stopping voter purging in Michigan
September 18, 2008
What’s up fam, the debacle in the form of purging that took place in the 2000 Florida election appears to be a standing pattern for the GOP running from Florida to Ohio to now Michigan. But we don’t play here in the great state. Below is a press release regarding a federal lawsuit filed by the Advancement Project, United States Student Assocation (USSA) and the ACLU of Michigan, and the law firm of Pepper Hamilton LLP.
Advancement Project, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Michigan and the law firm of Pepper Hamilton LLP filed a federal lawsuit challenging two statewide voter purge programs that could potentially disfranchise hundreds of thousands of Michigan voters in advance of the November 2008 presidential election. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Detroit against Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, Michigan Bureau of Elections Director Christopher M. Thomas and Ypsilanti Clerk Frances McMullen.
Michigan election update
September 18, 2008
By now, many of you have heard about what is happening in Michigan with the GOP trying to prey on people who are going through foreclosure and trying to disenfranchise them. So for all the call and emails I have received, I want people to know that we are on top of the situation. However, for as fun as it may be to beat up on Republicans, we need to make sure that our folks know how to fight back. First, being foreclosed on your home is not a valid reason for you to be challenged at the polls. So for the record:
If you move within 60 days of the election and you don’t change the address on your driver’s license or ID, you’re still eligible to vote at your old address, even if that address has been foreclosed.
I work with the Michigan Election Coalition and we are coordinating efforts to make sure have the proper information and the other way we fight back is by making sure that OUR folks are poll watchers and actually sign up to work the polls. For people that want to be poll watchers and otherwise get involved, contact the Michigan Election Coalition Coordinator, Tierney Eaton at michiganelectioncoalition@gmail.com and visit the website by clicking here.
Get off the sidelines, it’s not a game out here.
Stay up fam,
Brandon
