Berkeley Pries Open Votergate, Calls for Immediate Investigation of 2004 Election.

Berkeley Pries Open Votergate, Calls for Immediate Investigation of 2004 Election.

Berkeley, California. December 15, 2004. At the regular meeting of the
Berkeley City Council on Tuesday night, half of the public speakers
expressed grave concern for this country, given widespread voter
disenfranchisement on Nov. 2 including minority and student vote
suppression. By unanimous consent, the Berkeley City Council adopted
the "Resolution Supporting the Request that the Government
Accountability Office Immediately Undertake an Investigation of Voting
Irregularities in the 2004 Elections." Drafted by Berkeley's Peace and
Justice Commission, the Resolution also lists 17 measures to improve
elections.

Outgoing Vice Mayor and civil rights champion Maudelle Shirek agrees
with District 3's newly elected Max Anderson that "It's extremely
important for the foundations of our democracy that every citizen's vote
is counted. Fraud or manipulation, whether not counting votes or
suppression of voters, should be of vital concern to all."

Councilmember Kriss Worthington stated, "Politically, technologically
and bureaucratically, undemocratic forces have stopped America from
counting every vote. We must demand justice for purged voters,
provisional voters and discouraged voters forced to stand in line for
hours. As the United States risks our soldiers' lives to invade Iraq to
'spread democracy' it is tragically incomplete at home."

Ann Fagan Ginger, director of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute,
told the Council that the Resolution will be included in the just
completed "Challenging U.S. Human Rights Violations Since 9/11" to be
published by Prometheus Books by April. Sociologist Harry Brill spoke
of his poll to determine the number of Ohio voters who could not vote
because they could not wait in line for hours.

"...as directed, I created the vote fraud software prototype," swore
computer programmer Clint Curtis in a Dec. 6 affidavit, quoted by Peace
and Justice Commissioner PhoeBe ANNE (sorgen) at the City Council
meeting. Mr. Curtis had testified under penalty of perjury that Tom
Feeney, who later became Speaker of the House in Florida, wanted "a
voting program that could alter the vote tabulation in an election and
be undetectable." She also quoted Congressman Conyers, ranking member
of the House Judiciary Committee, "...efforts to audit poll records in
Ohio are being obstructed by County Election officials and/or Ohio
Secretary of State Blackwell...such an action appears to violate Ohio
law." Commissioner sorgen made the connection with the Resolution
opposing corporate constitutional "rights" that the City Council adopted
in June. "Corporate dominance is both the reason behind and the means
to stolen elections."

The home of the free speech movement, Berkeley is known for tackling
injustices even when they are initially ignored by the mainstream. After
hearing the citizens speak, Mayor Tom Bates proclaimed, "Nothing is more
fundamental than a free, fair election. When you start tinkering with
that, it throws the whole system into disarray. I am pleased that we are
taking this stand." Then the Council adopted the Resolution by
unanimous consent.

The meeting may be watched, and the Resolution may be read on the City's
website eventually by downloading the minutes. In the meantime, read it
here: