[Iowa-dx] 94,500 ballots from Independents not counted in Los Angeles County/sign petition to require count/please forward
Kelley Putman
kputman@mchsi.com
Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:44:03 -0600
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The following was forwarded to me today by a fellow member of the ACLU =
national board. =20
94,500 voters who were registered independent face not having their =
votes counted in the Democratic presidential primary.
As you can see five times as many voters in Los Angeles County are being =
disenfranchised as were in the Florida Palm Beach County catastrophe of =
2000.
Please consider signing the petition to demand that all votes get =
counted.
Forward this to others who could help spread the word.
Kelley
-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Rick Jacobs, Courage Campaign" <info@couragecampaign.org>
Subject: Obama vs. Clinton: Did you hear the bad news?
Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:03:19 +0000
We warned Los Angeles County about the impending trouble with the =
"double bubble." Now, the Sacramento Bee editorial board is calling it =
"a major voting disaster." And there is speculation that the outcome =
could change how many delegates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama receive =
in California.
94,500. That's roughly how many people in Los Angeles County voted for =
Obama and Clinton on Super Tuesday, only to see their votes rejected by =
the now infamous -- and fatally flawed -- "double bubble" ballot.
Here's the bad news: Despite a record-breaking turnout of 189,000 voters =
registered as "Decline-to-State" (DTS), Dean Logan, L.A.'s Registrar of =
Voters, is still refusing to physically hand-count these ballots, =
effectively disenfranchising 94,500 -- at least HALF -- of DTS voters =
because they didn't fill in an extra, redundant bubble before voting for =
President.
Time is running out to change Dean Logan's mind. Nearly 20,000 people =
have signed our "Count Every Vote" petition. Have you? Please sign it =
now and forward it to your friends immediately, so we can deliver as =
many signatures as possible directly to Dean Logan:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/CountEveryVote
Calling it "a major voting disaster" and a "raw deal" for =
Decline-to-State voters, the Sacramento Bee's editorial board puts =
"94,500" in perspective:
"The scale of disenfranchisement is huge - 94,500 of 189,000 =
decline-to-state votes. That's half of the nonpartisan ballots. By =
comparison, in the infamous Florida "butterfly ballot" debacle in the =
2000 presidential election, 19,120 Palm Beach County ballots went =
uncounted because of the bad ballot design."
That's right. Five times as many voters are now being disenfranchised =
than in Palm Beach County's "hanging chad" catastrophe of 2000. The only =
difference is that Dean Logan, the L.A. County registrar, knew this =
would happen ahead of time -- because a lawyer for the Courage Campaign =
warned him in a detailed letter prior to the primary.
18,007 (and growing). That's the astounding number of people who have =
signed the "Count Every Vote" petition so far, building a movement for =
election integrity that could become our largest signature-gathering =
campaign ever. Sign your name, tell your friends, and demand that Dean =
Logan count every vote today:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/CountEveryVote
Excited by the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, an =
unprecedented number of Decline-to-State voters rushed to the polls last =
Tuesday to vote in the Democratic Party primary. But at least HALF of =
these voters in Los Angeles County -- 20% of the electorate in the =
largest election jurisdiction in America -- are now finding out that =
their vote was rejected because they "failed" to fill out a meaningless =
bubble on a confusing ballot.
We don't know if -- as the Los Angeles Daily News speculated -- the =
"double bubble" debacle "could affect the number of delegates each =
candidate gets -- potentially determining the Democratic nominee for =
president." We do know that, no matter the speculation, we can't take =
one vote for granted:
Sign the petition. Spread the word. Count every vote:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/CountEveryVote
The stakes are high. And, with a deadline looming to certify the vote, =
time is short.
Your signature will help make sure the "double bubble" disaster does not =
disenfranchise independent voters inspired by Barack Obama and Hillary =
Clinton. Please sign today so that we can bring the largest number of =
signatures possible directly to Dean Logan and remind him that the =
integrity of our elections -- and the faith of people in the process -- =
depends on counting every vote.
Thank you for taking a minute of your time to defend our democracy =
today.
Rick Jacobs
Chair
P.S. On Thursday, we told you about Julian H., a young man who told us =
his first vote "amounted to nothing" because he didn't fill in an =
irrelevant bubble. Julian wasn't alone in his disgust and =
disappointment. Hundreds of frustrated voters have contacted the Courage =
Campaign. Charles C., another first-time primary voter, just wrote the =
following to us about his Election Day experience:
"When I walked into the polling place, I was asked what party I was =
with. I told them I was an Independent. They asked me which party I was =
going to vote for, and I stated Democratic. They handed me a ballot and =
pointed me to a particular booth. Because this is the first time I have =
voted in a primary, I was really excited. When I saw my candidates name, =
I marked it and then moved on to the remainder of the ballot. I didn't =
know I had to mark Democratic again. I felt proud to cast my vote, but =
now feel like a fool knowing my vote will not be counted."
If you know of any "Decline-to-State" voters in Los Angeles like Charles =
or Julian, please send them to a special web page we have set up =
specifically for disenfranchised DTS voters:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/LosAngelesVotes
.........
Courage Campaign is an independent political committee and online =
organizing network empowering grassroots and netroots activists to build =
a progressive California. In 2008, the Courage Campaign will catalyze =
action to increase California's importance in the race for the White =
House, hold our elected officials accountable, and block Blackwater from =
building a base on our border.
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The following was forwarded to me today =
by a fellow=20
member of the ACLU national board. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>94,500 voters who were=20
registered independent face not having their votes counted in the=20
Democratic presidential primary.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As you can see five times as many =
voters in Los=20
Angeles County are being disenfranchised as were in the Florida Palm =
Beach=20
County catastrophe of 2000.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Please consider signing the petition to =
demand that=20
all votes get counted.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Forward this to others who could =
help spread=20
the word.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Kelley</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------<BR>From: "Rick =
Jacobs,=20
Courage Campaign" <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:info@couragecampaign.org">info@couragecampaign.org</A>>=
<BR>Subject:=20
Obama vs. Clinton: Did you hear the bad news?<BR>Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 =
19:03:19=20
+0000<BR><BR><BR>We warned Los Angeles County about the impending =
trouble with=20
the "double bubble." Now, the Sacramento Bee editorial board is calling =
it "a=20
major voting disaster." And there is speculation that the outcome could =
change=20
how many delegates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama receive in=20
California.<BR><BR>94,500. That's roughly how many people in Los Angeles =
County=20
voted for Obama and Clinton on Super Tuesday, only to see their votes =
rejected=20
by the now infamous -- and fatally flawed -- "double bubble" =
ballot.<BR>Here's=20
the bad news: Despite a record-breaking turnout of 189,000 voters =
registered as=20
"Decline-to-State" (DTS), Dean Logan, L.A.'s Registrar of Voters, is =
still=20
refusing to physically hand-count these ballots, effectively =
disenfranchising=20
94,500 -- at least HALF -- of DTS voters because they didn't fill in an =
extra,=20
redundant bubble before voting for President.<BR><BR>Time is running out =
to=20
change Dean Logan's mind. Nearly 20,000 people have signed our "Count =
Every=20
Vote" petition. Have you? Please sign it now and forward it to your =
friends=20
immediately, so we can deliver as many signatures as possible directly =
to Dean=20
Logan:<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.couragecampaign.org/CountEveryVote">http://www.courage=
campaign.org/CountEveryVote</A></DIV><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>
<DIV><BR>Calling it "a major voting disaster" and a "raw deal" for=20
Decline-to-State voters, the Sacramento Bee's editorial board puts =
"94,500" in=20
perspective:<BR>"The scale of disenfranchisement is huge - 94,500 of =
189,000=20
decline-to-state votes. That's half of the nonpartisan ballots. By =
comparison,=20
in the infamous Florida "butterfly ballot" debacle in the 2000 =
presidential=20
election, 19,120 Palm Beach County ballots went uncounted because of the =
bad=20
ballot design."<BR><BR>That's right. Five times as many voters are now =
being=20
disenfranchised than in Palm Beach County's "hanging chad" catastrophe =
of 2000.=20
The only difference is that Dean Logan, the L.A. County registrar, knew =
this=20
would happen ahead of time -- because a lawyer for the Courage Campaign =
warned=20
him in a detailed letter prior to the primary.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>18,007 (and growing). That's the astounding number of people =
who have=20
signed the "Count Every Vote" petition so far, building a movement for =
election=20
integrity that could become our largest signature-gathering campaign =
ever. Sign=20
your name, tell your friends, and demand that Dean Logan count every =
vote=20
today:<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.couragecampaign.org/CountEveryVote">http://www.courage=
campaign.org/CountEveryVote</A></DIV><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>
<DIV><BR>Excited by the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, =
an=20
unprecedented number of Decline-to-State voters rushed to the polls last =
Tuesday=20
to vote in the Democratic Party primary. But at least HALF of these =
voters in=20
Los Angeles County -- 20% of the electorate in the largest election =
jurisdiction=20
in America -- are now finding out that their vote was rejected because =
they=20
"failed" to fill out a meaningless bubble on a confusing ballot.<BR>We =
don't=20
know if -- as the Los Angeles Daily News speculated -- the "double =
bubble"=20
debacle "could affect the number of delegates each candidate gets -- =
potentially=20
determining the Democratic nominee for president." We do know that, no =
matter=20
the speculation, we can't take one vote for granted:<BR>Sign the =
petition.=20
Spread the word. Count every vote:<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.couragecampaign.org/CountEveryVote">http://www.courage=
campaign.org/CountEveryVote</A></DIV><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>
<DIV><BR>The stakes are high. And, with a deadline looming to certify =
the vote,=20
time is short.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>Your signature will help make sure the "double bubble" disaster =
does=20
not disenfranchise independent voters inspired by Barack Obama and =
Hillary=20
Clinton. Please sign today so that we can bring the largest number of =
signatures=20
possible directly to Dean Logan and remind him that the integrity of our =
elections -- and the faith of people in the process -- depends on =
counting=20
every vote.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>Thank you for taking a minute of your time to defend our =
democracy=20
today.<BR>Rick Jacobs<BR>Chair</DIV>
<DIV><BR>P.S. On Thursday, we told you about Julian H., a young man who =
told us=20
his first vote "amounted to nothing" because he didn't fill in an =
irrelevant=20
bubble. Julian wasn't alone in his disgust and disappointment. Hundreds =
of=20
frustrated voters have contacted the Courage Campaign. Charles C., =
another=20
first-time primary voter, just wrote the following to us about his =
Election Day=20
experience:<BR>"When I walked into the polling place, I was asked what =
party I=20
was with. I told them I was an Independent. They asked me which party I =
was=20
going to vote for, and I stated Democratic. They handed me a ballot and =
pointed=20
me to a particular booth. Because this is the first time I have voted in =
a=20
primary, I was really excited. When I saw my candidates name, I marked =
it and=20
then moved on to the remainder of the ballot. I didn't know I had to =
mark=20
Democratic again. I felt proud to cast my vote, but now feel like a fool =
knowing=20
my vote will not be counted."</DIV>
<DIV><BR>If you know of any "Decline-to-State" voters in Los Angeles =
like=20
Charles or Julian, please send them to a special web page we have set up =
specifically for disenfranchised DTS voters:<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.couragecampaign.org/LosAngelesVotes">http://www.courag=
ecampaign.org/LosAngelesVotes</A><BR><BR>.........<BR><BR>Courage=20
Campaign is an independent political committee and online organizing =
network=20
empowering grassroots and netroots activists to build a progressive =
California.=20
In 2008, the Courage Campaign will catalyze action to increase =
California's=20
importance in the race for the White House, hold our elected officials=20
accountable, and block Blackwater from building a base on our =
border.</DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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