NATIONAL MARCH DEC. 12--NEED ST. PAUL COORDINATORS

http://www.51capitalmarch.com/

Please go to this site and let's get the St. Paul contingent cooking on this! It's a nationally coordinated on STATE CAPITOL STEPS EVERYWHERE DEC. 12.

Time is short, so let's get it going!

We have a pretty good voting system.

I thought there was something about the Greens getting 8,000 votes in one area of the district where that was just really weird. (I think the count was corrected). It's not impossible that Kerry won Minnesota by a wider margin than we know.

The sixth district did have screwy numbers on election night. And I gave that information to Wetterling, Erlandson and others including Bev Harris. I don't know what is being done with that particular information but I was told (from someone who knows Latimer) that there was something being investigated by some lawyers somewhere in the state, although the source was not at liberty to tell just what and where.

It is optically scanned for the most part and tallied on a hackable Diebold Accu-Vote central tabulator.

There were irregularities in our state. There is some investigation into some of it, I have been told.

I have also learned from Mike Hatch that the legislature fully intends to try to pass fully electronic voting in the next year. Of course, since we have a preponderance of Dems it will make our job easier. However, we must educate them as it seems to me they don't really "get it". Hatch also told me we should "look carefully at the office of the Secretary of State" as she is due for re-election. We need to get rid of Kiffmeyer and if we have continued problemmatic voting machines it won't be easy. Also, remember we have to work on removing Pawlenty and Coleman. So, our votes had better be secure.

It would be good for Minnesotans to show support of other states.

vote fraud and lack of confidence in the election process is a national issue.

Do we have anyone locally who would speak if we had a rally?

Anyone want to be part of a committee to find a speaker, alert the media and continue to get the word out?

I tried to get ahold of someone at No Stolen Elections to respond and got one answer from a person who agreed to furnish signs.

Does anyone else have any other ideas? Maybe we just need to get a bullhorn and read off some of what we know.

Any suggestions? I'm not much of an organizer.

I'd really like to get a state rep out there, like McCollum or even Entenza. I thought about Erlandson. Anyone got any ideas?

I put this together earlier for another protest being considered re: Coleman. Same applies here. Note that my skillset is mainly in media relations. We need others who are more closely used to working with the DFL legislators to contact them and ask them to participate. I will help with writing and distributing news alerts (if No Stolen Elections doesn't step up to the plate) and preparing materials to handout.

1) Since the main message of the protest is election fraud, we can adapt the messages from 51 Capital March and other vote fraud organizations. We should follow 51 Capital March messsages as closely as we feel comfortable since consistency of message is important.

2) Have a mini-program as part of the protest. Having someone speak at high noon will be the deadline reporters need to show up.

3) MN DU members should be ready to help research, offer ideas and fine-tune the message in the announcement.

4) To generate larger turnout, issue an invite to all progressive organizations in the state that would likely support the event and encourage them to attend, post on their websites, and distribute via their email lists or listserves. We should combine our lists.

5) Three days before the event, send a media alert outlining the who, what, when, and where. Include contact information.
* Minnesota dailies, radio and TV, with direct correspondence to political reporters and columnists
* National alternative media. Although they won't attend, they may include an announcement or use our summary announcement.

6) Plan signage (here's a link to a San Diego protest on vote fraud from this weekend. Notice the messages, readibility of the lettering etc. Imagine how your sign will look in photos and on camera).
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2004/12/106921.shtml

7)Have a one page handout for media at the event, including names and contact info for spokespeople, as well as onlookers and curious passersby.

8) Immediately after the event, issue a summary release on the turnout, and state the availability of digital photos.

I love it!

there's a forum, and the effort is picking up steam in many states. Carolab has volunteered as Minnesota coordinator. Yay, Carol!

The force behind the protest is 52-year-old IT consultant Kip Humphrey of Houston (formerly of Plymouth, MN) and his 21-year-old son. Says Kip: "I went to the poll with my family. We voted on e-voting machines rigged with an exploit to deny Kerry Democratic votes. When I got home, I thought of my three young adult children, two who voted in their first election, and I wept. I realized they faced futures without the guarantees of freedom and democracy that I have enjoyed. I could not sit by and watch their votes be stripped of their power and security without doing something."

Hope you all will help get the word out and join us at the Capital at noon on Sunday!
http://www.51capitalmarch.com/index.html

I turned the main coordination over to Gerald Ganann. He is listed at the site. If you want his number and e-mail, PM me. We are arranging speakers and several groups are coming, including CASE MN and CodePink and some from United for Peace and Justice. We are trying to get more media coverage as well and there is a Communications Coordinator listed.

Also, I want to let you know there is a "Red Hands Movement" post on DU that leads you to a page at CafePress where you can buy signs, shirts, bumperstickers, and even red gloves that carry the DU "red hands" logo. This is an excellent way to increase our visibility.


TURN OUT!