Chuco35's diary on "How to get petitions signed by the cart full" has spread like fire through the online Wisconsin recall community.
To summarize - we've got a Supreme Court election coming up next Tuesday. It's important that we get JoAnne Kloppenburg elected to the court. But there's one other thing we can do - we can use gather recall signatures against Republican state senators at the polling places.
As the result of this interest, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) has released an opinion on guidelines for canvassing on election day. Details below.
GAB opinion
Due to the anticipated presence of recall petition circulators at polling places, G.A.B. offers the following guidance for clerks, election inspectors, and petition circulators to use at the polls on April 5, 2011:
...* It is permissible to circulate a petition at the polling place if it is unrelated to the candidate contests/referenda on the ballot.
* Circulators must refrain from “campaign activity” for any contest on the ballot while on public property within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place.
* Circulators should not solicit signatures from voters in line to vote, but rather wait until voters are leaving the polling place.
* Circulators should not stand in or block the entrance to the building. G.A.B. recommends circulators remain at least 10 feet from the path of travel.
* Circulators should not be allowed in the immediate area where voting is occurring. G.A.B. suggests circulators remain outside the building.
* The actions of the circulators should not in any way interfere with or distract voters or election officials, interrupt or disturb the election proceedings.
* If a circulator is causing a disruption of the polling place, the chief inspector should immediately address the situation and ask the circulator to cease disruptive activity. Circulators who do not cease the disruptive activity will be ordered to leave the polling place and remain outside the 100-foot zone. If the circulator continues to disrupt the polling place, the chief inspector should contact law enforcement to enforce the order.
Personally, I recommend that you contact your local recall officials before going to a polling site. We want this organized so that we hit as many polls at as many times as possible. In addition, your local recall committee may have additional guidelines they wish to share with you.
It is almost certain that the GOP will be looking for any excuse to cry "Election Fraud"! And we know the media will pick up on that. It is important to follow these guidelines (and any others you may be given); to have a copy of these guidelines with you, and to be cheerful and civil to all - especially the election judges.
If I'm the part of the first wave of canvassers, the first thing I will do is talk with the election officials and ask them for directions on where I can set up, and ask them about any of their concerns.
Forward!