Protect the Votes

It isn't too late; you can still volunteer to help make sure everyone (eligible) votes and every vote is counted. Here are some suggestions from the Axis of Eve and are oriented to folks living in NY, but have good suggestions for everyone.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. PENNSYLVANIA

Swing the State is organizing a mass exodus from NYC to Pennsylvania the days leading up to and day of the election. Their Pennsylvania affiliate, ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) plans to contact each of its newly registered voters SIX TIMES before November 2. And they want you to join their "Army of Volunteers." Contact Debra Cleaver to get involved. Please let her know if you have a car and a place to stay while you're there

The Pennsylvania branch of the Young Voter Alliance (a group that brings together groups like MoveOn, Student Action, the League of Pissed Off and Independent Voters, National Hip Hop Political Action Committee, Stonewall Student Network, and the Young Democrats of America) is planning to go all out! Election Weekend there will be costumed canvasses going out on Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday the 31st, in celebration of Halloween and to get young America awake and excited about the election. Later in the evenings, they'll continue to go by parties, concerts, & clubs to remind the youth to vote. Monday the 1st they're doing literature drops from 9pm-1am (with information about polling locations, etc.), and then on Election Day itself they are poll watching and canvassing ALL DAY. They're looking for close to 600 volunteers for between Wednesday October 27th to E-Day. They're working on finding housing for out of state volunteers - it'll be sofas and floors, but they're also looking into cheap motels which people can split the cost for. To get in touch with YVA directly about volunteering, call Melinda or Jen at (215) 832 0317, or email alliancevolunteer@comcast.net.

2. OHIO

- If you have your own car and are willing to drive it to Ohio Election weekend and use it while you're there, America Coming Together in Ohio can use you and find you a place to stay. E-mail Sharif Corinaldi at sharif@anattempt.org to set up your trip today!

- Travel to Ohio with Downtown for Democracy will be running busses/vans to Ohio Election weekend in TWO SHIFTS: a) Thursday, October 28- Sunday, October 31; b) Friday, October 29- Wednesday, November 3. Swing the State and Downtown for Democracy have committed to filling these two trips with volunteers to work with VoteMob, a division of 21st Century Democrats and D4D's field operations in Ohio. Election weekend they will be door knocking, phone calling and doing everything they can to get out the youth (18-35) vote in Ohio. These trips cost $20. That covers your transportation, housing (probably someone's couch or floor) and some food. The first shift leaves Thursday night, October 28 and returns Sunday, October 31. The second shift leaves Friday night, October 29 and returns Wednesday, November 3. You'll need to bring a sleeping bag/air mattress, and a Halloween costume if you're so inclined. To RSVP for either trip send an email to: getonthebus@downtownfordemocracy.org or call 718-290-9153. Please specify which trip you're going on and if you'd be willing to drive a van. Please RSVP by THIS FRIDAY so we can make sure to have housing and transportation for all of our volunteers!

3. FLORIDA

America Coming Together (ACT) presents the Florida Mobilization Center, the way to directly plug yourself in with the largest grassroots voter mobilization movement in Florida's history. The 2004 elections will be won on the ground - state by state, county by county, precinct by precinct -- through person-to-person contacts and conversations in communities all over the country. As a volunteer here in Florida, you will be part of making those contacts, and having those conversations. By registering on floridagotv.com to come to Florida between now and Election Day, you will be joining a growing team of volunteers dedicated to affecting change from the White House to the State House. Questions? Contact Sharif Corinaldi.

4. NEW YORK METRO AREA

1. If you live in NYC and you absolutely can't travel, ACT will need
lots of help at the phone banks. They have tons of open seats at
traditional phone banks every day, 10 am - 9 pm, from now through
Election Day. To RSVP for pre-Election Period phone banks:
http://acthere.com/eventSearch.php?zipCode=10036&distance=30
2. For an extensive listing of things you can do here in New York
(including phone banking all over the city and in the boroughs)
over the weekend and for the rest of the week, visit
www.acthere.com and plug in your zip code.
3. Phone Banking with Downtown for Democracy in the evenings in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Contact D4D's volunteer coordinator A'yen
Tran at 718-290-9245.
4. Make calls from home! Democracy in the Park can now provide
scripts and lists for you over e-mail if you can gather at least
five friends in your home to make calls. They can't give out lists
to individuals calling alone, but if you can organize your own
mini cell phone bank, they'll provide you with everything you
need. Sign up here: http://www.democracyinthepark.org/start.htm.
5. Or join a Democracy
in the Park phone bank.
Democracry in the Park is organizing massive indoor cell phone banks on Sun,
10/24, Sat, 10/30, and Sun, 10/31

PLUG IN WITH GET-OUT-THE-VOTE AND ELECTION PROTECTION EFFORTS

Vote early on election day so that you have extra time to Get Out the Vote or work as an Election Protection monitor. Getting out the vote means not only transporting voters to the polls, and calling people and knocking on their doors to remind them to vote but also ensuring the polling process is conducted in an impartial manner. Being an election protection monitor means getting trained to be on "watch" at polling places on Nov. 2 to make sure that voters are not disenfranchised. New laws, new voters and new technology make it all the more critical that we actively participate in protecting voters' rights during this election.

To plug into the most effective existing operations, go to:

GET-OUT-THE-VOTE: Click on "Volunteer Locally" / Tel. 612-879-7500

CODEPINK Activists: To find out where activists are going to in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Nevada; and to hook up with Women's Voices, Women's Vote in Florida, Wisconsin, Nevada and Iowa.

ELECTION PROTECTION VOLUNTEERING

Comments

[LarryB]

Kudos to you!

I think I'm too angry to be of much use as a poll monitor, and too much up in the air as to what I'm doing week to week to be able to commit to anything. It actually makes me feel a bit guilty... Especially with you laying all the resources out there.

I think I may drop by the local Dem HQ and ask if they need any volunteer help over the next week. I live in the Bay Area, and there's really only one competitive race in the county, but they may have something for non-commital ol' me.

[Mary Kay]

Hey, we all do what we can. Even in you're in a state like CA, the local Kerry office may be able to use you on phone banks.

MKK

[Leslie Turek]

If you have a cell phone and can make free long distance calls from home, you can go to calls.johnkerry.com and make a few calls into battleground states. These are calls to friendly people, giving them information about canvassing opportunities in their area. The site gives you 5 calls to make at a time, which doesn't take very long, so you can do as little or as much as you want whenever you have a little free time.

[jet]

The polls show the dead are voting 98 to 2 Democract in Ohio. Anyone want to volunteer to keep the dead from voting? Franklin county? The conservative backlash against this rampant fraud is going to be a hoot to watch ;)

[PG]

Election Protection folks, remember that we have to be non-partisan on Tuesday, no matter how pissed off we may feel :-)

[aphrael]

I protect the vote by working as a polling place inspector. :)