Age of Reason

Voter Suppression. Contact Boxer. Now.

At 1 pm EST Thursday, because of concerns about the massive voter suppression efforts by Republicans in last Novembers' election, Representative John Conyers will make a procedural objection in Congress, bringing about a debate over voter suppression and related issues. Lots more details are here from Olbermann. This debate will only happen if one Senator joins Rep. Conyers in objecting -- and the Senator most likely is California's Barbara Boxer. Californian? Contact her by 1 pm EST, via her email or her fax at 415-956-6701. Her phone, which I'm told is now always busy, is at 202-224-3553. Otherwise, contact your own Senator at Contacting the Congress.

From MoveOn's letter on the subject

When Congress reconvenes this Thursday to ratify the 2004 Presidential election, Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) will object to the vote count in Ohio, and if even one Senator joins him, Congress will have to debate the widespread voting problems that have been exposed. Nobody expects this election to be overturned, but it's time in this country to seriously grapple with the issues of voting rights, un-auditable computerized voting, and the suppression of minority votes.

Call your Democratic Senators today and ask them to join Representative Conyers in challenging the 2004 voting process. With your support, they can step forward and force this important debate. Just call [the numbers for your Senators at Contacting the Congress; for Boxer, see above]

Please let us know you've made these calls at our site

In November's election, Americans in inner cities were prevented from voting by eight-hour lines. Local officials changed the rules on which votes were counted. Technicians were allowed to tamper with balloting machines unsupervised. We've attached an editorial by Rev. Jesse Jackson with more details below.

The winners of these tainted elections assert that their outcomes didn't depend on the fraud. But even in sports, referees call penalties and enforce the rules, whether or not the game is at stake. Nowhere in the Constitution does it describe some acceptable level of denying Americans their votes. When Congress meets this Thursday, January 6, we'll have a good opportunity to make it clear that Americans want every vote counted, period.

A sound democracy depends on elections that everyone, winners and losers, can agree were held fairly and honestly. America doesn't have that now, and it's got to change.

posted by conchis @ 10:46 PM