Calling all bloggers, campaign volunteers with access, and anyone else who might be able to run with this story... (Candidates for Secretary of State in particular!) The official story will be out on Tuesday, but in the meantime, here's a 'heads up' for activists. Let's coordinate as much publicity for this as we can--please remind your candidates that a press release won't cost any campaign funds!
Fully 92% of every single demographic group in American favors the public's right to observe vote counting and to obtain any information regarding vote counting, according an August 12-15 Zogby telephone poll of approximately 1200 likely voters nationwide.
Updated: Contributions for the poll may be sent to:
Paul Lehto, Attorney at Law
PO Box 254
Everett, WA 98206
(Any excess funds over costs will be donated to CA 50 --www.nosleepovers.org ) If you need to donate via Pay Pal, go straight to the CA 50 website and note "Zogby" (if not possible to note, add .02)
As
Mrs Robinson pointed out yesterday, one of the best way to widen the "cracks in the [wingnut] wall" is to "Stand on Common Ground -- Keep the conversation focused on the things you agree on." So. Here's a focus.
(There's some overlap between Paul's email to the team and the DU thread--but I'll let the kossaks sort that out.)
Sunday, August 20, 2006
From: Paul R Lehto, Attorney at Law, Democracy Activist
Here's a developing DU thread on my brand new Zogby poll on election transparency that I believe is a very important development for the election protection and "election detection" movement...
I want to emphasize that I think this is something the whole movement can get behind, regardless of any differences of opinion regarding HR 550, whether open source will work or not, the legislation vs. litigation debate, etc. This can and should be a shot in the arm for everyone! The Zogby poll was commissioned by Paul Lehto with support from Democracy for New Hampshire, Michael Collins and electionfraudnews.com and other election detection patriots.
Fully 92% of every single demographic group in American favors the public's right to observe vote counting and to obtain any information regarding vote counting, according an August 12-15 Zogby telephone poll of approximately 1200 likely voters nationwide.
In a democracy, 51% is winning. 92% is complete annihilation of the "opposition." When it's spread across all demographic groups from armed forces to very conservative to walmart shoppers to libertarians to progressives and liberals, the 92% means there really isn't even a debate to speak of!
May I recommend as the subject of what the 92% is for or against: "Citizen Oversight" or "Oppose Secret vote counting" or "favor Public's Right to KNow in Elections". "Verifiable" elections is simply "capable of verification" and could include a mere audit that may or may not work.... To some extent the term verifiable is owned by the Holt HR 550 " e-voting with "safeguards"" folks.... But, those alleged safeguards are really just our elections hanging by a thread that hardly ever works. For example, California has a 1% manual audit requirement but I can tell you as lead counsel for the Busby/Bilbray election contest challenge in California's 50th Congressional District in San Diego County that the 1% audit is worse than useless, and doesn't "verify" or prove anything, both as applied in this case, nor could it have had the necessary statistical power it was supposed to have in any event....
Maybe it's just me, but I like the distinction between 51% support in a democracy and 92% support in a democracy, as made in the above democraticunderground.com link, stressing how "over the top" these numbers are as the basis for confidence IN OURSELVES, and as the flip side of "no confidence IN SECRET ELECTIONS". As you know, bradblog.com and CA50 Action Committee have stressed "no confidence" as the theme of the election contest here in California. www.nosleepovers.org
Maybe the partial reason for our movement's "mixed" results is that election officials haven't felt the full persuasive frame or power of the frame, or else haven't realized just how out of touch they are if they are not in favor of radical transparency. Remember GOethe's old quote: Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. I think there are angels behind us on this issue when framed as opposition to secret vote counting and favoring election transparency and the public right to know, and we are way too timid when it comes to our own sense of confidence when it comes to transparency and anti-secret vote counting. Particularly strong is the opposition to secret vote counting because one really can not argue in favor of secret vote counting, but people might not fully "get" an abstract term like "transparency."
This is, in my opinion, a watershed moment. This is when people GET A SHOT IN THE ARM, and it doesn't matter if we've had some good and some not so good results *in the past, with this poll in our pocket (or really, in our hearts and minds), the debate is transformed in our favor and in the favor of every decent election activist everywhere!
Look for a national press release to Zogby's 35,000 press contacts on Tuesday. We're looking for all activists to be blogging and talking up this on Tuesday with all press contacts and listservs, and doing local statewide press releases of their own highlighting anti-transparent local officials, to synergize the local and national angles at the same time.
It's *not like that repeated warning on Hill Street Blues cop show: "Be Careful Out there" at the end of each police staff meeting, it's more like "Kick Butt Out There!" : )
Paul Lehto (aka Land Shark on DemocraticUnderground.com )
Attorney at Law
PS For coordination assistance you can email Paul Lehto at lehtolawyer(at)gmail(dot)com