MoveOn is holding its own primary to determine whom it should endorse in the CT Senate primary. Unfortunately, only CT MoveOn members who joined prior to May 18, 2006 at a CT address are eligible to vote. The results should be interesting!
I hope all MoveOn members in CT will join me in watching their email boxes for letters from Lamont and Lieberman, soliciting their vote in this E-Primary. No matter whom you support in this race, you should definitely remember to vote during the 24 hours the E-Polls are open on May 25th.
The entire text of MoveOn's email is reproduced below the fold:
MoveOn will only endorse one of the candidates gains the votes of 2/3 of the CT MoveOn members.
Dear MoveOn member in Connecticut,
Together, we face a big question in Connecticut's Democratic Senate primary. Who should MoveOn endorse? Joe Lieberman? Ned Lamont? Somebody else?
MoveOn is a member-driven organization and big decisions about what to do--including endorsements--are made by our members. So we're holding an online primary of MoveOn members in Connecticut next Thursday, May 25 to make this decision. I wanted to let you know before you hear about it from the news, because we're beginning to reach out to the candidates today.
As part of the process, you'll hear from Senator Lieberman and Mr. Lamont. Then you'll have a chance to vote--via a secure website--for your choice next Thursday. If you're getting this email, you're qualified to vote.
In most primary processes, pundits, pollsters and wealthy donors determine the outcome long before the actual primaries. By the time the rest of us cast our ballots, the nomination is typically a done deal. The MoveOn.org Political Action primary will allow thousands of us to speak out now, adding our weight to the campaigns of their choice.
We're strong believers in the "wisdom of crowds"--the idea that we're smarter together. So we're sure that whatever decision we reach next week will be the right one. Keep an eye out for the next steps next Wednesday, and thanks, as always, for everything you do.
-Eli Pariser
Executive Director, MoveOn.org Political Action
Thursday, May 18th, 2006
P.S. If you're interested, here are the rules we sent to the candidates. As is our usually policy, we'll only make an endorsement if two-thirds of MoveOn members support a candidate.
MoveOn.org Political Action
U.S. Senate Online Primary for Connecticut
Statement of Intent and Rules
This year in Connecticut the Democratic primary for United States Senate will likely determine who holds the Senate seat.
In most primary processes, pundits, pollsters and wealthy donors determine the outcome long before the actual vote. By the time the rest of us cast our ballots, the nomination is typically a done deal. The MoveOn.org Political Action Primary will allow thousands of voters to choose which candidate to endorse--if any.
Consistent with MoveOn.org Political Action's policy for endorsements, the candidate who garners support from two-thirds of votes cast in the online primary will win the MoveOn member endorsement. If no candidate garners two-thirds support we will not make an endorsement.
Here are the rules.
Voting will occur for 24 hours starting on May 25, 2006 at 8:00 AM Eastern and ending May 26, 2006 at 8:00 AM Eastern.
Only eligible persons may vote in the MoveOn online primary. To be eligible for this primary you must be currently subscribed to MoveOn's email list at a Connecticut postal address and have joined MoveOn before May 18, 2006 at 9:00 AM. People not already on the MoveOn mailing list in Connecticut cannot vote in this primary.
The day before the primary, May 24, 2006, each of the two presumed candidates in the Democratic primary will have a chance to send an e-mail from themselves or a designee to the MoveOn membership in Connecticut. Candidates are asked to submit a final e-mail by May 23, 2006 at 5:00 PM Eastern to Eli Pariser. The e-mail may be text or HTML. It may contain hyperlinks and graphics. No code that may trigger SPAM filters will be allowed. If the candidate declines to send an e-mail, MoveOn may ask a proxy to write an e-mail on behalf of the candidate or send a note indicating that the candidate declined to participate.
Ballots will be distributed via e-mail on May 25. Members will vote through a secure web form on a MoveOn.org Political Action web page. The results will be tabulated by MoveOn.org Political Action staff.
Only one vote per member will be counted. A member may change their vote during the 24 hour voting period. The last vote the member registers will count as his or her official vote.
The campaigns may ask supporters who meet the criteria above to vote in the primary. Any evidence of fraud will be investigated, and fraudulent activity by candidates is cause for immediate disqualification.
To win the primary the candidate must receive two-thirds of votes cast. If no candidate receives two-thirds support, MoveOn won't issue an endorsement.
As an anti-fraud measure, MoveOn.org Political Action will conduct an automated phone poll of participants in the primary. The phone poll is not a binding survey. It will be used to identify fraud. If fraud is suspected the primary may be declared invalid.
This primary process and the rules governing it are the exclusive domain of MoveOn.org Political Action and all questions or disputes are resolved by Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn.org Political Action.
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION,
