I live in California--pretty much in the middle of Los Angeles. Lots of times, that can be a good thing. But lots of times, it isn't.
One particular instance where it isn't? Going to the ballot box to do early voting. Why? Because the electronic voting machines are all Diebold.
And unless we do something about it now, that's the way it'll be in the 2006 elections--and that very fact could jeopardize our chances of victory in close local and even statewide elections.
More below.
Our Republican Secretary of State Bruce McPherson--appointed by our Governator after the Democratic predecessor resigned due to scandal--has, according to the email sent out by Secretary of State candidate Debra Bowen, conditionally certified problem-plagued Diebold machines for use in our 2006 elections.
It's also no coincidence that Bruce decided to take the Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend to announce this controversial decision--he's hoping it won't get very much play. Well, I'm hoping it will, and I'm asking you to do something about it.
What can you do? I'll give you a list of things to do.
First, no matter where you live: flood their switchboard. You can pick from a wide variety of phone numbers at the link provided--voter fraud, elections division, technology section--doesn't matter, just let them know you're not happy--and it doesn't matter if you're from California or you're not. The Secretary's office needs to know that the whole country is watching, and waiting for California to live up to its commitment to verifiable democracy.
Second, if you live in California, contact your state senator (use the "your senator" link on the left sidebar) or your assemblyman (use the "find my district" link on the sidebar). Let them know that it is unacceptable not to have verifiable voting in California.
Third, support Debra Bowen's campaign to replace Bruce McPherson as Secretary of State in 2006. We've seen with Katherine Harris in Florida and with Ken Blackwell in Ohio how (unfortunately) significant the Secretary's office with regard to voting procedure and certification. Debra Bowen is a genuine progressive candidate who believes in verifiable voting--that is to say, the fundamental cornerstone of democracy.
Thanks for reading this far, and for your assistance in preserving democracy.