Pacifica 2026 National Election “A Corrupt Rigged Election With White Ballots At KPFA

Pacifica 2026 National Election Report “A Corrupt Rigged Election With White Ballots At KPFA”
The Pacifica Foundation election is supposed to be a democratic election process in which the members and listeners of the Pacifica stations at KPFA, KPFK, WBAI, WPFW and KPFT can have a democratic process to elect the governing board. At KPFA nearly all Pacifica Fightback
and Rescue Pacifica were removed from the ballot except 1.
This report by Pacifica Fightback shows that this election in fact was rigged with white ballots because of the undemocratic exclusion of candidates and preventing the members from even knowing what was happening in this election. A TRO was also filed that documented the
many violations of a democratic election that eliminated the candidates and preventing the members from having a political alternative in the governing of Pacifica and the stations.
This report was made on October 2, 2026

Additional Media:

What's Happening At Pacifica?
https://youtu.be/6VdYdckbGfU

KPFA Pacifica Press Conf On Suspension Of Pacifica's Non-Profit Status & Trump Like Purge
https://youtu.be/iGAJLMs4Fpc

Fight At KPFA & Pacifica Radio Network For Democracy & Transparency
https://youtu.be/_-uuWZpFwpU

Ian Masters CIA Operative Protested At KPFA Pacifica In Berkeley
https://youtu.be/DzzoEnzvJPE

Shut Up Or Speak Out! KPFA Press Conference For Democracy & Transparency
https://youtu.be/hbHUrLR9Wy0

lThe KPFA Local Station Candidate Debates On the Air! Youtube Won't Do & Stop Rigging Elections!
https://youtu.be/95PHBEWymrQ

KPFA Bylaw Referendum Debate July 2, 2021
https://kpfa.org/archives/2021/7/2/

KPFA Pacifica Local Station Board/Public Discuss On Financial Crisis, Bankruptcy & Governance
https://youtu.be/WsN9lZPQrJs

Additional Information
Pacifica Fightback
https://pacificafightback.org
Pacifica Mission Coalition
https://pacificamissioncoaltion.com
Rescue Pacifica
https://rescuepacifica.net
Production Of Labor Video Project
http://www.labormedia.net

Problems and complaints in the Pacifica elections process so far

The election processes this year seem designed to limit member participation. Let us know what difficulties and grievances you have experienced. Please email us at pacificamissioncoalition [at] gmail.com, and also notify the National Election Supervisor, nes [at] pacifica.org and the Executive Director, ed [at] pacifica.org
Disenfranchisement of UNPAID STAFF (now called “Volunteer Team” ) in the Pacífica Foundation elections:
There have been concerning reports by unpaid staff at several stations that they were not properly informed that they should have logged in their hours to qualify as Unpaid staff by May 31st 2026, which is a different deadline or date of record than the June 30 date to qualify as listener members.
There is nothing in the improperly adopted 2025 “settlement” Bylaws that even mentions May 31st as a deadline.
There has not been adequate training at some stations nor adequate communication with unpaid programmers, producers or other unpaid staff members to let them know about the deadline.
Given that these 2025 Bylaws have already REDUCED the staff representation at the PNB to only TWO representatives to represent staff at all FIVE stations, and also reduced the staff representation on the disempowered local station boards, this latest development is also REDUCING the Voter POOL of STAFF being able to RUN as well as to VOTE on their STAFF representatives. The figures provided to the mailing house for staff at each of stations shows the following: KPFA, 85; KPFK, 75; KPFT, 49; WBAI, 50; WPFW, 92. That’s a total of only 351 so- called paid staff and volunteer team members at all the stations combined. That is clear evidence of disenfranchisement. In 2024, KPFK alone had well over 200 paid and unpaid staff members. Figures for KPFA and WBAI were similar. This exposes the true intentions of the forces behind the Bylaws change and now trying to cement their control.
Therefore we demand at a minumum that the STAFF should have their May 31st deadline extended to June 30, the date of record (in parallel with the extended nomination period) to qualify as staff, with the retroactive opportunity to certify those hours until the election begins. The nomination period should also be extended similarly for all members (see below).
Difficulties in Nominations by Listener Members
Listeners are also affected by the changed Bylaws and the frustrating procedures and rules of this election process, as well as problems with the website running the nominations, electionbudy.com. As a result, the nominations period was extended for everyone, but not sufficiently to overcome all the problems. As a result, there are positions, including for the critical listener rep on the Pacifica National Board, where there are NO CANDIDATES ar several stations.
There are built-in difficulties under the imposed Bylaws, which make it possible for the same majority, possibly from a single station, to dominate the national board, which has centralized all governance authority. There were also problems with the functioning of the election process, both on the elections.pacifica.org website, where candidates were not able to submit their applications timely, and were not listed as candidates even after they have successfully submitted them; and on the electionbuddy site where nominations are supposed to be made.
People were being nominated for multiple positions that they did not submit candidate applications for, and people were being nominated who are not eligible. This resulted in a list of nominees for each position that includes people not running for that position, or the introduction of an “abstain” choice in some cases, confusing those who came to the site to make nominations.
Repeatedly, nominators were presented with a form that included a nomination for a station other than their own, after the various positions for which they were eligible to make nominations. That could distort results from other stations. That issue and others have been reported to the NES and the Executive Director. The NES response was that she had seen that problem before but thought electionbuddy.com had taken care of it. This is an unacceptable malfunction that threatens the validity of the entire process and raises questions about electionbuddy’s capacity to conduct fair and accurate elections and the final voting tabulation. They have already informed Pacifica that in the event one station does not achieve quorum in the election by Sept. 30, voting will have to be extended at all five stations as they cannot differentiate between the various electorates at the five stations. That seems bizarre, as people at different stations are voting for different candidates.
The original explanation on the elections.pacifica.org website of the extension to July 11th for nominations, which applied ONLY to people who became new members or renewed a lapsed membership during June was unclear and confusing, and there weren’t clear instructions about how such individuals were to gain access to the nominations form on the separate electionbuddy.com website. We believe that nominations need to be reopened for all positions at all stations where there is no current candidate.
The elections.pacifica.org website incorrectly named and placed several candidates for positions they had not declared for instead of the positions they had declared for – including Bruce Greif and Eleanor Elizabeth Forman at WBAI and Ambrose Lane Jr. at WPFW. These were corrected after the NES was notified, but it is not clear how that was reflected on the nominations website, or on the nominations made, before it was corrected. The nominations website continued to show the same people nominated for multiple positions, and people nominated who were not eligible. This does not bode well for the trustworthiness or competence of electionbuddy.com in managing the actual balloting.
Who will actually get to vote?
The NES announced in August that the number of members remaining with good contact information has been drastically reduced based on the electionbuddy.com data from the nomination period. Although she says they are making efforts to get good contact info for all members, it is unclear that have it in time for the link to the e-ballot to go out to all members on August 15 as planned. This is an invitation to a further disaster with thousands of valid members having to seek ballot links after not receiving them as expected.
ABSENCE OF ON-AIR LIVE CANDIDATE FORUMS WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR LISTENERS TO CALL IN THEIR QUESTIONS AND GET LIVE RESPONSES
The elections.pacifica.org calendar also jumps from June 30, end of nominations to August 15 for the voting, and skips over any mention of campaigning between July 11 and August 15, or a commitment to have on-air candidate forums for all positions on all stations PRIOR to the distribution of ballots, although the NES has told the PNB that these will occur. This is a critical step to make sure listeners and other members are fully informed before they vote.
The plan proposed and implemented by the NES violates the Bylaws requirements for listener call-ins which has always previously meant live on the air, as is appropriate for radio stations and a radio network. Instead there was a zoom session where non-candidates were muted with an opportunity for three short statements by each candidate that included a response to a pre-selected listener question. The recordings will then be aired on the radio. That is totally inadequate and denies the listeners of their clear rights under even these Bylaws. At KPFK and perhaps other stations with Spanish language or bilingual programming, the candidate forums also need to be offered during such programming in Spanish or bilingually.
Most station websites and on-air broadcasts have not informed the listeners about the election adequately or educated then clearly about how to navigate the process. Sites are not fully accessible for people with visual or other impairments.
Let us know what difficulties and grievances you have experienced. Please email us at pacificamissioncoalition [at] gmail.com, and also notify the National Election Supervisor, nes [at] pacifica.org and the Executive Director, ed [at] pacifica.org


Massive Overhaul of Pacifica Network, the last publicly owned network in the country

April 2025 (Yes, this time for real)

WHAT? (You may feel you've heard this before, but the final court case is now in the works -- control of the network is consolidated and complete for the first time in years and, like Trump, they aim to make giant changes very soon from long-held plans.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? You don't even listen to “radio.” 1) Technocrat-owned private platforms are becoming a problem, as many predicted. And 2) KPFA/Pacifica really is getting internet-savvy – and if listeners had more oversight as this is all about, it would have happened a long time ago.

WHY DOES IT MATTER THIS TIME – (for those who do listen, (or use Pacifica's websites) many of us have heard this one BEFORE, and come on, they seem to know what they're doing, right?)
The final court case is now in the works -- they control the network for the first time in years and, like Trump, they aim to make giant changes very soon from long-held plans.

DISHONESTY, DISHONEST ELECTIONS, DISHONEST COMMUNICATING ABOUT WHETHER ELECTIONS MATTER AT ALL

and, BTW, HIPOCRISY...

While Trump is eliminating oversight in numerous ways - grabbing control for a few greedbuckets with no concern for the earth, worker safety, social security, healthcare and more -

The very most radical media network still on public airwaves, Pacifica Network, is in danger of an authoritarian take-over -- eliminating local control and oversight by members.

This power grab is an inside job by a group of KPFA & Pacifica board members.Their group has several names, including: "New Day," "KPFA Protectors," and "Safety Net." While many (not all -- some are open Trumpsters) seem to believe they are progressives, their actions have already demonstrated:

Curtailing of honest reporting on world and local events -- such that many listeners have been confused at their own financial woes were being so misreported; many people elsewhere in the world feel horrified ,even endangered by by the level of state-department/corporate propaganda parroted by some "news" headlines and headlined shows (strategically mixed with truthful reporting to keep many folks from questioning select planted talking points, Why is this? Stands to reason more money comes from “connected” sources. While KPFA (& much else in Pacifica) can “honestly” say they don't accept corporate funds – grants and large donations are hard to ignore – and with the largest paid and well-benefited staff of many stations (all in Pacifica by far) it's hard to want to give up this security). Insiders have negotiated this tightrope for years, and some of us even feel Trump would not have been elected had Dem Party insiders not had such a consolidated line of bull, often parroted even by well-meaning reporters. Would more oversight and honest reporting have meant fewer jobs for them? Maybe not – maybe more in these times would have stepped up to support it as they have some online sources where many seeking meaningful explanations of the world have fled.

Election grabbing: These “progressives” have justified their vote-stealing. At KPFA they eliminated votes by filing assault and battery charges when a board member accidentally brushed against a harassing staff member for a split second only visible by slowing a video frame by frame. The alleged assaulter was not even named in the “police report” (dropped). Yet this dishonest faction managed to remove 2 voting members related to this – one for “lying” (telling what actually happened) about it. In other words, engaging in free speech. The court case now in the works to overhaul the whole system is at least the 3rd (the others were thrown out). Loud public claims that staff members' votes didn't matter is not what Pacifica's system allows. Like Trump, what this group THINKS should be has been the basis for their behavior. They have never wanted listener oversight and have, over the years, learned very effectively how to belittle the very idea of it and otherwise simply ignore the very idea of it – except to flood their well-funded insider political groups with disinformation promoting their views. Again, while many are known as “progressives” their sense of ends-justified-means demonstrate an arrogance and sense of entitlement that is the antithesis of the Pacifica mission of “understanding bla bla bla.”

“to engage in any activity that shall contribute to a lasting understanding between nations and between the individuals of all nations, races, creeds and colors; to gather and disseminate information on the causes of conflict between any and all such groups...to promote the study of political and economic problems and of the causes of religious, philosophical and racial antagonisms.”

Does a radio station/network need oversight by those who pay its bills, or should we leave it up to a very few, even some who seem well-meaning?

A few have convinced many that they should just not bother their little heads about this, but leave it to "the experts." What's wrong with this picture?

In the same way that Trump was easily able to convince some fed-up Democrats that he will finally listen to their concerns and provide relief, Pacifica management does authentically include many whose values sound and sometimes truly are in line with values of health, equity, diversity and inclusion.

A long court fight between those how have sought to consolidate and greatly dimminish the voices of the listeners by changing the bylaws with a top-down structure is nearing its conclusion. On April 3rd in Los Angeles Alahambra court (you can find it on Zoom) - a bylaws changes case which has continued for 4 years will be decided

Just as many are now finding that threatening social security and healthcare coverage is a Trumpian value they didn't vote for, Pacificans need to stop this small self-appointed group -- some who undoubtedly believe in their cause-- others who overtly support Trump in his values -- from eliminating local oversight completely.

Pacifica is probably the very last media on public airwaves NOT owned by Bezos, Musk and other technocrats.

Pacifica was mentioned by name in Trump's Project 2025 plan.


The small authoritarian group is calling for a technocratic board. A hearing is coming up in April -- SOON.

What can you do?

-- Listen to KPFA -- many programs challenge the national takeover in progress. Archives are available at KPFA.org. Hardknock Radio, Project Censored, Flashpoints, Letters and Politics, Economic Update are a few often good programs. (There are also a few we would like to see tanked but not to get into that here...).

--See and consider joining with the Rescue Pacifica website and group: RescuePacifica.net


also see DanielBorgstrom.blogspot.com and PacificainExile.org (may not be current but has excellent background).