Collecting Smoking Guns
This is an important issue to me. I hope this pitiful diary expresses to my friends in the community why it should be important to you.
I understand that we are hoping to have an army of people serving as minders and legal guardians at polling places on Election Day. These valiant servants will most certainly play a crucial role in the election of John Kerry to the Presidency of the United States. However, I feel it is imperative that we do not get complacent and trust that these people can handle all crises that might arise. They will surely have their hands and ears full on November 2, 2004. We must be prepared to supplement their duties with our vigilance.
Documentation:
In 2000, it took days, weeks, and months to locate victims and ferret out the culprits. In part this is because we did not have the proper documentation. Let's not get caught flat footed again this year!
Almost everyone I know has a digital camera. Many more own video cameras, if not a camera-phone. These are valuable tools in our quest this year. These items, along with a small pad of paper and a pen might just provide the proof of voter intimidation, suppression, or outright fraud. Please take them with you when you go and vote this year. Throw them in your bag or in your car.
Safe State, Battleground:
Assume nothing! We all knew Florida would be close, but who knew it would be a major blunder of fraud and suppression in 2000? It should not matter where you live or what the pollsters say, anything can happen on Election Day. In addition to this, there are local and state races, as well as proposition which might be close. These items deserve our scrutiny as well!
Summary:
- Don't assume you are in a safe state!
- Take all types of cameras to your polling place.
- Take a notepad and pen.
- While entering, voting, and leaving your polling place be aware for any signs of voter intimidation, suppression, fraud, etc.
- If you see something that looks out of place attempt to report this to the authority in charge of the polling place.
- In addition attempt to locate a minder put in place by one of our watchdog groups.
- Document each of these steps, including the names of the victim(s), agitator(s), the issue, the authority figure(s), and the attempted solution(s).
- Contact your local Registrar of Voters to report the incident, as well as your local Democratic Party H.Q., and your S.o.S.
- Contact the Media.
- Make a diary here so brilliant people can offer brilliant ideas and for further documentation and dissemination!
Should manmade lighting stike twice, we will be there!
We will be there! Not six months later with people coming forward after the fact. We will have video, photos, names, contacts, locations, times, and more importantly
smoking guns!