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Wed Nov 3 2004
Progressives lose largely at the polls
11/18/2004: Cheer up—the power is in your hands
11/3/2004: In Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry's speech at 11am today, he conceded defeat in the Presidential race, before the provisional ballots in Ohio had all been counted. Bush gave his acceptance speech at 12pm. Aside from planned actions, people are assessing "what went wrong," as a seemingly unprecedented in size progressive mobilization was met by an apparently stronger conservative voter movement and turnout. One Indybay reader's assessment Protests planned for today continued in spite of an afternoon rainstorm.
Statewide Propositions: In California, Measure 66, which would have limited the three strikes law, was not voted in, although it had appeared to be approved in the evening of November 2nd. Statement by author of Prop 66. Measure 69, which would collect DNA samples from all felons, and from adults and juveniles arrested for or charged with specified crimes, and put that information into a statewide database, was approved by the voters. Prop. 67 was voted down- it would have allowed for increased funding for emergency medical services and training through a small tax on telephone use. Both measures related to taxing Indian casinos were rejected. The voters did support Prop. 71, which will establish an institute in California to regulate legalized stem cell research and provide funding, through grants and loans, for such research and research facilities. All of the California proposition results Barbara Boxer was re-elected to the Senate. Other statewide election results
Locally, medical marijuana was an important issue: measure Z in Oakland was passed and the result for Measure R in Berkeley is apparently going to depend on the absentee ballots. Read more Measure Q, which would have decriminalized prostitution in Berkeley, did not win. Oakland's Measure Y, in spite of months of people mobilizing against more money for police, was passed, perhaps in part due to a bus stop adveritising campaign. SF Supervisor Candidate Robert Haaland won national attention because he was one of several transgender candidates He was the runner-up after Ross Mirkarimi. Marin County voted to ban genetically-engineered crops. SF Election Results | SFBG election blog reports on SF Supervisor Election | Berkeley Election Results | All Alameda County Results | Santa Clara County | San Mateo County | Marin County
In Oregon, voters rejected a medical marijuana initiative. Anti-gay marriage amendments passed in 11 states.
11/3/2004: In Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry's speech at 11am today, he conceded defeat in the Presidential race, before the provisional ballots in Ohio had all been counted. Bush gave his acceptance speech at 12pm. Aside from planned actions, people are assessing "what went wrong," as a seemingly unprecedented in size progressive mobilization was met by an apparently stronger conservative voter movement and turnout. One Indybay reader's assessment Protests planned for today continued in spite of an afternoon rainstorm.
Statewide Propositions: In California, Measure 66, which would have limited the three strikes law, was not voted in, although it had appeared to be approved in the evening of November 2nd. Statement by author of Prop 66. Measure 69, which would collect DNA samples from all felons, and from adults and juveniles arrested for or charged with specified crimes, and put that information into a statewide database, was approved by the voters. Prop. 67 was voted down- it would have allowed for increased funding for emergency medical services and training through a small tax on telephone use. Both measures related to taxing Indian casinos were rejected. The voters did support Prop. 71, which will establish an institute in California to regulate legalized stem cell research and provide funding, through grants and loans, for such research and research facilities. All of the California proposition results Barbara Boxer was re-elected to the Senate. Other statewide election results
Locally, medical marijuana was an important issue: measure Z in Oakland was passed and the result for Measure R in Berkeley is apparently going to depend on the absentee ballots. Read more Measure Q, which would have decriminalized prostitution in Berkeley, did not win. Oakland's Measure Y, in spite of months of people mobilizing against more money for police, was passed, perhaps in part due to a bus stop adveritising campaign. SF Supervisor Candidate Robert Haaland won national attention because he was one of several transgender candidates He was the runner-up after Ross Mirkarimi. Marin County voted to ban genetically-engineered crops. SF Election Results | SFBG election blog reports on SF Supervisor Election | Berkeley Election Results | All Alameda County Results | Santa Clara County | San Mateo County | Marin County
In Oregon, voters rejected a medical marijuana initiative. Anti-gay marriage amendments passed in 11 states.
Florida:
Tallahassee,
Tampa,
Miami
Ohio:
Cleveland,
New Hampshire,
Wisconsin:
Madison,
Milwaukee,
Pennsylvania:
Philly,
Pittsburgh,
New Mexico,
Michigan,
Colorado.
National Election Related Indybay Posts | US Indymedia | Live Coverage of SF Demonstrations on Enemy Combatant Radio
National Election Related Indybay Posts | US Indymedia | Live Coverage of SF Demonstrations on Enemy Combatant Radio
Tue Oct 26 2004
Republican Plan to Intimidate Voters and Disrupt Election
Satire site Georgewbush.org has been quietly receiving email intended for campaign staff at Georgewbush.com, including Excel files, called "caging files," consisting of names and addresses of voters in areas with a majority of black residents. Florida Republican campaign spokeswoman Mindy Tucker Fletcher acknowledged that the party's poll workers will be instructed to challenge voters, and refused to say that the caging files would not be used in order to create a challenge list. US federal law prohibits targeting challenges to voters, even if there is a basis for the challenge, if race is a factor in targeting the voters. Read more
Meanwhile, Florida's infamous—if under-reported in the U.S.—"felon"-purging system is still in operation. After some public pressure, the state was forced to make it merely "optional" for county election officials to implement the racist purge. A "smoking e-mail" has emerged which proves that Gov. Jeb Bush was “personally involved” in ramrodding a new voter purge list for the 2004 election, even though the data firm that prepared it warned of its many "flaws." Read more
58,000 absentee ballots are missing in Broward County, Florida.
A press conference on racist voter suppression is being held in front of the State Building, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco at 10:30am on Oct. 27th.
Meanwhile, Florida's infamous—if under-reported in the U.S.—"felon"-purging system is still in operation. After some public pressure, the state was forced to make it merely "optional" for county election officials to implement the racist purge. A "smoking e-mail" has emerged which proves that Gov. Jeb Bush was “personally involved” in ramrodding a new voter purge list for the 2004 election, even though the data firm that prepared it warned of its many "flaws." Read more
58,000 absentee ballots are missing in Broward County, Florida.
A press conference on racist voter suppression is being held in front of the State Building, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco at 10:30am on Oct. 27th.
Fri Oct 15 2004
Nader and Camejo Pay Campaign Visit to Bay Area
10/15/2004: Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader and his runningmate Peter Camejo were in the Bay Area campaigning this week. They made a stop at UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall, in an event sponsored by the campus Students for Nader and ISO groups. (Report and Photo) Dr. Jess Ghannam, President of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination League, spoke out against the Anyone But Bush movement. (Video) Nader's campaign has been highly controversial during an election season in which many feel that there is a lot to lose if Bush wins- much of the left has held its nose and put its support behind John Kerry instead of independent candidate Nader. Nader is also the only candidate who is not afraid to speak openly about the solution that he would support in Israel/Palestine, such as in his letter Criticizing Israel is Not Anti-Semitism
Nader/Camejo Campaign | Reform Party | The ISO in the Nader Campaign | Socialist Worker Articles: Should the Left Support Nader? and The Democrats' War on Nader | Nader Discussion on Feminista Site | The Nader Factor (about Republicans and Nader) | Campus Activism Blog | Anarchist Discussion of Nader Campaign | Never Mind the Ballots! | "Anybody But Bush": The Big Abdication
Nader/Camejo Campaign | Reform Party | The ISO in the Nader Campaign | Socialist Worker Articles: Should the Left Support Nader? and The Democrats' War on Nader | Nader Discussion on Feminista Site | The Nader Factor (about Republicans and Nader) | Campus Activism Blog | Anarchist Discussion of Nader Campaign | Never Mind the Ballots! | "Anybody But Bush": The Big Abdication
10/14/2004: The Running for Change PAC is sponsoring an effort to stop Sinclair Broadcast Group from airing the documentary "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal", which is blatantly anti-Kerry. They planned to deliver 100,000 signatures to Sinclair's corporate headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland at 12 noon on Friday, October 15, and 150,000 to the Federal Elections Commission on Thursday, October 21st.
Various news media began reporting this week that Sinclair had ordered its 62 local television stations to air Stolen Honor shortly before election day Reports. Many of those stations are in key swing states. Newspapers around the country have responded with editorials and columns denouncing Sinclair this week; House and Senate Democrats asked the FCC to investigate; and FCC Commissioner Michael Copps has publicly criticized Sinclair's move as an abuse of the public trust and as an example of media conglomeration run amok. The Federal Communications Commission indicated today that it will do nothing. The market did react, however, as, according to the Stop Sinclair Campaign, key advertiser Sylvan Learning Center has already pulled its ads from the broadcasting group's stations. America Coming Together, which is seen as the largest Democratic voter mobilization project in American history, will also participate in the effort by distributing the petition to local television stations that Sinclair owns and operates in swing states cities all across America.
According to Stolen Honor's website, "former POWs tell their compelling and chilling stories of their brutal life as prisoners of war in North Vietnam and the additional suffering and extended captivity they endured after their North Vietnamese captors read to them John Kerry's words accusing American soldiers of atrocities and demanded the POWs confess to Kerry's 'war crimes' allegations. The surviving men and their families, who felt betrayed by Kerry then and now, speak out through Stolen Honor against the lies, false testimony and distortions made by young Mr. Kerry in the early 1970's. Funding for the documentary's production was made possible by Pennsylvania veterans."
Read more: Concerts for Change Press Release | Stop Sinclair Website | 10/23: Run Against Bush in cities all over the US | SinclairWatch | Boycott Sinclair Advertisers | 10/13 Media Activists Comment on Democracy Now
Various news media began reporting this week that Sinclair had ordered its 62 local television stations to air Stolen Honor shortly before election day Reports. Many of those stations are in key swing states. Newspapers around the country have responded with editorials and columns denouncing Sinclair this week; House and Senate Democrats asked the FCC to investigate; and FCC Commissioner Michael Copps has publicly criticized Sinclair's move as an abuse of the public trust and as an example of media conglomeration run amok. The Federal Communications Commission indicated today that it will do nothing. The market did react, however, as, according to the Stop Sinclair Campaign, key advertiser Sylvan Learning Center has already pulled its ads from the broadcasting group's stations. America Coming Together, which is seen as the largest Democratic voter mobilization project in American history, will also participate in the effort by distributing the petition to local television stations that Sinclair owns and operates in swing states cities all across America.
According to Stolen Honor's website, "former POWs tell their compelling and chilling stories of their brutal life as prisoners of war in North Vietnam and the additional suffering and extended captivity they endured after their North Vietnamese captors read to them John Kerry's words accusing American soldiers of atrocities and demanded the POWs confess to Kerry's 'war crimes' allegations. The surviving men and their families, who felt betrayed by Kerry then and now, speak out through Stolen Honor against the lies, false testimony and distortions made by young Mr. Kerry in the early 1970's. Funding for the documentary's production was made possible by Pennsylvania veterans."
Read more: Concerts for Change Press Release | Stop Sinclair Website | 10/23: Run Against Bush in cities all over the US | SinclairWatch | Boycott Sinclair Advertisers | 10/13 Media Activists Comment on Democracy Now
Thu Sep 30 2004
National Campaigns Seek to Monitor Elections
11/1/2004: Report from an Election Protection Volunteer.
People throughout the world are concerned about the outcome as well as the integrity of this year's presidential election. Some worry that people could be turned away at the polls, as happened in Florida in 2000. Others worry that electronic voting machines are easily hacked or are simply mechanically unreliable; not all machines give a receipt so that voters know how their votes will be counted. In some places, there are still concerns about paper ballots. There are also concerns that African Americans, Latinos, and even convicted felons who have finished their sentences and parole will be denied the right to vote. And what if there is a terrorist attack just before or on the day of the election? Some are choosing to vote for no one. On another side of the political spectrum, volunteer drives are on to recruit election protection volunteers and election monitors for polling places throughout the country. A questionable internet voting experiment has been cancelled.
ElectionProtectionVolunteer.org is recruiting volunteers (clergy, lawyers, law students, and regular folks) to work as poll monitors in key precincts where there is a history of, or concern about, voting rights violations, and to perform related functions like neighborhood canvasses. The training to be a volunteer will provide an overview of the state-specific Voters' Bill of Rights, answers to frequently asked questions about voting, information about e-voting issues where germane, instructions for reporting election day voting rights violations to the Election Protection coalition legal team, and more. One training was held in the Bay Area on September 11th., and another on October 8th. Upcoming trainings: A toll-free hotline has been set up so people can call to report irregularities: 1-866-OUR-VOTE. The Election Protection 2004 website also has regular updates about issues related to the election: 9/22 Update
Verified Voting is an organization that advocates the use of voter-verified paper ballots (VVPBs) for all elections in the United States, "so voters can inspect individual permanent records of their ballots before they are cast and so meaningful recounts may be conducted." It also insists "that electronic voting equipment and software be open to public scrutiny and that random, surprise recounts be conducted on a regular basis to audit election equipment." TechWatch seeks volunteers for logic and accuracy testing of voting technology by election officials prior to election day, poll watching on election day (assigned to a single polling place or central election office), and reporting election incidents on election day (on dispatch from an Election Incident Reporting System to polling places within a given county).
Global Exchange is sponsoring Fair Election, a human rights organization that has conducted election monitoring in 10 countries around the world. Fair Election plans to "bring a multi-national, independent, non-partisan, and non-governmental team of skilled election monitors to the United States to examine and report on the U.S. electoral process within the framework of international election standards. The impartial assessments and practical recommendations for reform are designed to help overcome the doubt many U.S. voters feel about processes at the core of our democracy." Volunteers were sheduled to come in mid-September and again during the week before the election. Plans are in the works for a European delegation from the OSCE: Some fifty parliamentarians from over twenty countries will form the core of the observation mission. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will also send observers. Parliamentarians will participate in briefings in Washington, Oct. 27 to 29 and will be deployed in various States from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. Debriefings will take place on Nov. 3. On Nov. 4, Barbara Haering will deliver the post-election statement of the OSCE on the U.S. elections.
Links: California Voters' Bill of Rights, which voters can print and bring into polling places with them | Election Protection Volunteer Website | Electionline.org | U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division Voting Section | Info USA's Elections Page
People throughout the world are concerned about the outcome as well as the integrity of this year's presidential election. Some worry that people could be turned away at the polls, as happened in Florida in 2000. Others worry that electronic voting machines are easily hacked or are simply mechanically unreliable; not all machines give a receipt so that voters know how their votes will be counted. In some places, there are still concerns about paper ballots. There are also concerns that African Americans, Latinos, and even convicted felons who have finished their sentences and parole will be denied the right to vote. And what if there is a terrorist attack just before or on the day of the election? Some are choosing to vote for no one. On another side of the political spectrum, volunteer drives are on to recruit election protection volunteers and election monitors for polling places throughout the country. A questionable internet voting experiment has been cancelled.
ElectionProtectionVolunteer.org is recruiting volunteers (clergy, lawyers, law students, and regular folks) to work as poll monitors in key precincts where there is a history of, or concern about, voting rights violations, and to perform related functions like neighborhood canvasses. The training to be a volunteer will provide an overview of the state-specific Voters' Bill of Rights, answers to frequently asked questions about voting, information about e-voting issues where germane, instructions for reporting election day voting rights violations to the Election Protection coalition legal team, and more. One training was held in the Bay Area on September 11th., and another on October 8th. Upcoming trainings: A toll-free hotline has been set up so people can call to report irregularities: 1-866-OUR-VOTE. The Election Protection 2004 website also has regular updates about issues related to the election: 9/22 Update
Verified Voting is an organization that advocates the use of voter-verified paper ballots (VVPBs) for all elections in the United States, "so voters can inspect individual permanent records of their ballots before they are cast and so meaningful recounts may be conducted." It also insists "that electronic voting equipment and software be open to public scrutiny and that random, surprise recounts be conducted on a regular basis to audit election equipment." TechWatch seeks volunteers for logic and accuracy testing of voting technology by election officials prior to election day, poll watching on election day (assigned to a single polling place or central election office), and reporting election incidents on election day (on dispatch from an Election Incident Reporting System to polling places within a given county).
Global Exchange is sponsoring Fair Election, a human rights organization that has conducted election monitoring in 10 countries around the world. Fair Election plans to "bring a multi-national, independent, non-partisan, and non-governmental team of skilled election monitors to the United States to examine and report on the U.S. electoral process within the framework of international election standards. The impartial assessments and practical recommendations for reform are designed to help overcome the doubt many U.S. voters feel about processes at the core of our democracy." Volunteers were sheduled to come in mid-September and again during the week before the election. Plans are in the works for a European delegation from the OSCE: Some fifty parliamentarians from over twenty countries will form the core of the observation mission. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will also send observers. Parliamentarians will participate in briefings in Washington, Oct. 27 to 29 and will be deployed in various States from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. Debriefings will take place on Nov. 3. On Nov. 4, Barbara Haering will deliver the post-election statement of the OSCE on the U.S. elections.
Links: California Voters' Bill of Rights, which voters can print and bring into polling places with them | Election Protection Volunteer Website | Electionline.org | U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division Voting Section | Info USA's Elections Page
Tue Sep 21 2004
November 3rd Actions Beyond Voting
Several groups, both national and local, held actions on Wednesday, November 3rd. All of the ones that were covered were planned before the results of the presidential election were known.
A new nation-wide "Beyond Voting" movement, sponsored by a broad
coalition of anti-war/anti-empire/global justice activist organizations, held street demonstrations on
November 3rd. They said, "No matter who wins, the world
needs to hear that the people of the U.S. demand fundamental social,
economic, and political change. Join us in the streets on November 3rd. We need to take direct action beyond voting, No Matter Who Wins!"
A new affinity group called Code Blue has been formed by members of the Bay Area Radical Health Collective. They called for the Healthcare not Warfare Action on November 3rd in San Francisco: 9 AM at Justin Herman Plaza, followed by a march through the Tenderloin, with a 12 PM Convergence at the Federal Building. More info and reports Photos: 1
Not in Our Name and other groups held an Anti-War March and Rally to End the Occupation, marching from Powell BART to 24th & Mission. One of the contingents was an anti-imperialist-identified grouping. Poetic Report Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Audio | Breaking news from the demo Video: 1 | 2
Code Red events took place all day in Santa Rosa. There was an action in Sacramento: Report. At College of Marin, a Victory Celebration was held in spite of who won.
United for Peace organized an Urgent Response Network of people who have pledged, "No Stolen Election!" and will protest election fraud, if needed.
Still more actions: Locally people also Protested the 9-11 Cover-Up Report More actions from Indyvoter's This Time We're Watching A World Party was called for 6pm in cities all over the country, including in SF at Justin Herman Plaza. United for Peace and Justice has an extensive national list of actions, including such cities as Livermore.
Beyond Voting | Don't Just Vote Campaign | Vote NoOne '04 | Direct Action to Stop the War
A new affinity group called Code Blue has been formed by members of the Bay Area Radical Health Collective. They called for the Healthcare not Warfare Action on November 3rd in San Francisco: 9 AM at Justin Herman Plaza, followed by a march through the Tenderloin, with a 12 PM Convergence at the Federal Building. More info and reports Photos: 1
Not in Our Name and other groups held an Anti-War March and Rally to End the Occupation, marching from Powell BART to 24th & Mission. One of the contingents was an anti-imperialist-identified grouping. Poetic Report Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Audio | Breaking news from the demo Video: 1 | 2
Code Red events took place all day in Santa Rosa. There was an action in Sacramento: Report. At College of Marin, a Victory Celebration was held in spite of who won.
United for Peace organized an Urgent Response Network of people who have pledged, "No Stolen Election!" and will protest election fraud, if needed.
Still more actions: Locally people also Protested the 9-11 Cover-Up Report More actions from Indyvoter's This Time We're Watching A World Party was called for 6pm in cities all over the country, including in SF at Justin Herman Plaza. United for Peace and Justice has an extensive national list of actions, including such cities as Livermore.
Beyond Voting | Don't Just Vote Campaign | Vote NoOne '04 | Direct Action to Stop the War