Green Party Calls for Ohio Recount Volunteers

Just recieved from the Green party e-mail list:

Folks -- this is the response that I received over the
weekend from the Green Party recount staff. There are
some links that may be of interest and some mail lists
that you can subscribe to. They are still asking for
donations as well.

There's also a request for help in organizing
volunteers and increasing visibility; I'll try to
assist with organizing in addition to observing the
recount. Let me know if you or anyone you know would
like to participate in the recount process in any
capacity and I can coordinate with Holly (mentioned
below). I can't guarantee that this will be seamless,
but I'll do my best to see that anyone who expresses
an interest actually gets the chance to do something.

Apparently there are also still plenty of volunteers
needed for direct observation in Ohio. I realize that
this is short notice (hence expensive plane tickets)
and vacation time is precious, but you may be ready to
make that sacrifice. If so let me know when you could
go and for how long. I have yet to get any schedule
for myself, but I originally volunteered to observe
for a week and I may extend this depending on the
need.

Feel free to pass this along. Time is critical, so if
you want to help, please respond soon, probably no
later than 12/1.

Regards-
Chuck

--- dcobb@votecobb.org wrote:

> Date: 27 Nov 2004 23:23:01 -0000
> From: dcobb@votecobb.org
> CC:
> Subject: Thank you! Stay in the Ohio Recount Loop!
> > Dear Chuck Shereda:
> > On November , you joined over five thousand
> contributors
> and six hundred (so far) volunteers who stepped
> forward to
> help our campaign stand up with millions of other
> across the
> country. We are voters across the political
> spectrum: Greens,
> Libertarians, Independents, Kucinich-Dean-Kerry
> Democrats and
> Republicans ready to restore integrity to our voting
> system.
> We insist that the legitimacy of representative
> government be
> defended from the flagrant threats to the public's
> confidence
> that this and the previous election have engendered.
> > Below, I want to share with you news of our progress
> toward
> ensuring a complete count of the votes in the Ohio
> election.
> > But first let me cover a couple of other quick
> topics.
> > I write first to thank you and welcome your active
> participation
> in this campaign to ensure that every vote is
> counted and
> to instigate a grass-roots movement that can restore
> public
> confidence in electoral democracy. We need voter
> verified paper
> ballots and open source election software, publicly
> financed
> elections, proportional representation and instant
> run-off
> voting, open access to the ballot, the enforcement
> and extension
> of the Voting Right Act and non-partisan election
> officials.
> > In this letter we want to (1) update you on recent
> developments
> and our plans for the recount effort, (2) invite you
> to subscribe
> to new list serves designed to keep you in the loop
> or even
> actively engaged as we move this campaign forward,
> (3) ask folks who
> are willing to fill some critical volunteer roles,
> (4) ask you to
> spread the word about our efforts and (5) inform you
> that unless
> you confirm your subscription invitations described
> below,
> you will not see any further email from us again
> until we have
> a final report to share with you after Congress
> certifies the
> election on January 6th.
> > We hope that everyone who has contributed or
> volunteered will
> join our new recount-news@lists.votecobb.org list.
> This is
> a low-traffic read-only list where our press
> secretary and
> campaign manager will share with you breaking news,
> by, about
> and of interest to those who support this recount
> campaign.
> > And we are inviting as well, everyone who has
> volunteered
> to please confirm your invitation to subscribe to
> two
> other lists:
> -- recount-vols@lists.votecobb.org is a
> low-traffic, read
> only list used by our campaign staff to
> communicate volunteer
> opportunities on this recount campaign to those
> engaged in
> the work;
> -- recount-org@lists.votecobb.org is a discussion
> list for
> volunteers actively engaged in this campaign,
> either right
> there in California or on the ground in Ohio and
> what ever
> other states this campaign may eventually lead us.
> > > While we appreciate your financial support and could
> not proceed
> without it, the truth is that a recount without our
> campaign
> providing independent oversight of the process will
> not provide
> meaningful feedback on the problems or do much to
> improve
> public confidence in the system or in this year's
> result.
> > We estimate we will need nearly 2,000 volunteers to
> monitor
> recount activities in all 88 Ohio counties. As I
> write this,
> we are still nearly $20,000 shy of our fundraising
> goal
> for the Ohio recount (even as we continue to
> consider the
> problems in New Mexico and other states). Please
> send your
> friends and family to our site and urge them to
> volunteer and /
> or contribute to this vital work.
> <a
>
href="http://web.greens.org/c/cobb/supporters.cgi?function=donate">http://web.greens.org/c/cobb/supporters.cgi?function=donate</a>
> <a
>
href="http://web.greens.org/c/cobb/supporters.cgi?function=volunteer&process=7">http://web.greens.org/c/cobb/supporters.cgi?function=volunteer&process=7</a>
> > If you prefer to not get any further email from us,
> simply
> ignore this note and you will only receive a final
> report of
> our efforts after the Presidential Election has been
> certified
> by the Congress on January 6th.
> > Our campaign has made a commitment to not spam the
> voters of
> this country. This promise precludes our sending
> you further
> email after this thank you letter inviting you to
> subscribe to
> our lists. However, if you want us to keep you in
> the loop,
> you simply need to respond to the the subscription
> invitation
> you'll see under separate cover. Or write back to
> let us know
> that you do in fact wish to subscribe to our
> campaign lists.
> We want to keep you in the loop. But we do not want
> to abuse
> your privacy or your inbox.
> > We have asked Holly Hart, of Iowa, to lead our
> efforts to coordinate
> the participation of volunteers in this important
> historical effort to
> reclaim public confidence in our elections. She
> needs your help. So
> far, 600 volunteers have stepped forward. We will
> need at least 1,400
> more before we arrive in Ohio. First she needs help
> communicating and
> coordinating with 2,000 people over the next few
> days.
> > Please call Holly at 319-337-7341 if you can
> organize within
> California to mobilize volunteers to come to Ohio
> and to
> help us raise this campaign's goals and profile
> within your
> community and state.
> > The corporate media is busy belittling and
> ridiculing
> our efforts to defend and expand democracy in Ohio
> and by
> extension in the rest of our nation as well. We
> need your
> help to counter the attacks. We must not let them
> manufacture
> our consent to expecting stolen elections cycle
> after cycle.
> We are inviting everyone who has lent their support
> to this
> campaign to follow that up with letters to the
> editor explaining
> why you are supporting this recount effort. For
> ideas on what
> you might include in such a letter, please visit our
> website at:
> <a
>
href="http://www.votecobb.org/recount/be-the-media">http://www.votecobb.org/recount/be-the-media</a>
> > Please help us break through the media white-out
> of our efforts by urging others to come to our <a
> href-"http://www.votecobb.org/">web site</a> and to
> contribute their
> financial and volunteer support to this effort.
> > Our efforts are already well under way.
> > -- On Monday, Common Cause, the National Voting
> Rights
> Institute, Demos, the Fannie Lou Hamer Project and
> People
> for the American Way Foundation issued a joint
> statement in
> support of the Cobb and Badnarik demand for an Ohio
> recount.
> > -- In the past week, we have raised over $200,000 of
> the
> initial $250,000 our staff has budgeted for this
> effort.
> And with your help we expect to reach our goal by
> this coming
> Monday.
> > -- On Wednesday, our team of attorneys overnighted
> to each Ohio
> county election director asking them to prepare for
> the recount.
> > -- On Friday, November 19th, our attorneys delivered
> a bond
> to guarantee our $113,600 recount fee.
> > -- We have rehired staff we had just laid off at the
> end of
> the campaign so we can continue this work. We have
> so far
> identified 600 of the 2,000 volunteers we predict
> will be
> needed for the work in Ohio. We are organizing now
> to train,
> house and feed the folks on the ground in Ohio who
> will monitor
> the recount on our behalf. We have established new
> list serves
> to support this effort.
> > -- We continue to investigate what role we might
> play in New
> Mexico, to monitor developments in Florida and other
> states
> and to build alliances with citizen based election
> reform
> groups across this nation.
> > -- And our efforts have now been endorsed by Ohio
> Congressman
> Dennis Kucinich.
> > We need an election system and election officials we
> can trust.
> The problems in Florida in 2000 and the problems in
> Ohio in
> 2004 will repeat themselves in 2008 unless we do
> something
> about it. Americans can agree that our elections
> should be
> administered by an independent non-partisan
> commission, and
> not by the state chairs of presidential campaigns.
> > Again we thank you sincerely for your participation
> in this
> Democracy Movement. We look forward to seeing you
> in Ohio.
> > Yours for a just, sustainable and democratic future,
> > David Cobb
> and the entire Cobb-LaMarche Team
> > "Thank you to the Greens and all others whose
> support for a
> recount will rescue a shred of honesty in the
> conduct of the
> 2004 Ohio election."
> -- Dennis Kucinich.
> > "First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you.
> Then they
> fight you. Then you win."
> -- Mahatma K Gandhi
>

and after receiving three introductory messages that seemed intent on organization of the recount, I got nada. Zip. I signed up for their yahoo groups on it... nothing.

I'm even a "member" of the Ohio Green Party (you can't officially register Green in Ohio, yet).

I guess we're awaiting further instructions? I have no idea what's going on... there are so many lawsuits cooking, so many efforts from SoS and County BoEs to derail the whole thing. I just don't know.

what am I going to say? Hey Holly---just wondering what's up with the recount? I'm sure she's got bigger fish to fry than dealing with my little questions.

I did just write her an email, though. I'll post here if I get a response.

So I'd think it would be good to make contact and get plugged in. But please do let everyone know what you learn. Good to meet a fellow Green :-)

so the lights are on over there. She sounded rushed and said to check the website for updates. She also said that they expect the recount to take place around the 11th or 13th, but could come earlier.

That's about it.

See
http://ohio-recount.info/serendipity/

Also it says
"For more information about the recount effort in Ohio overall, please visit http://www.votecobb.org/

For more information about the recount effort in Northeast Ohio, please visit http://press.ohio-recount.info or email press@ohio-recount.info. "

Take a look at the photos from a demonstration in California

http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/11/1707625.php


-snip-
"The demonstration, organized by the Wellstone Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, and by The Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, was to protest the Media's near complete silence concerning voting irregularities in the 2004 presidential election."