Voting Reform

Vol. 2, No. 1--Pre-Summit, January 2005

Progressive Democrats of America members, in alliance with members of a broad spectrum of progressive groups, helped to make history on January 6th, 2005. Following intense grassroots pressure, including over 100,000 e-mails sent from the PDA website to Senators and Representatives in DC asking them to stand up for democracy, Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Senator Barbara Boxer objected to the certification of the Ohio electors. Their intent was not to change the election results, but rather to shine a light on the problems found nationwide in our current election system.

A two-hour debate on the House and Senate floors followed, with many Democrats coming forward to speak out against the voter suppression and intimidation that occurred in the State of Ohio on November 2nd. One after another spoke about the need for change in the system, and we at PDA plan to be there to remind them of their words and to offer them support as productive legislation is brought forward. This was not an isolated incident, it was the rallying cry for a voting reform movement. Help us to keep this issue alive in your community and in the press. This isn't 'crying over spilled milk,' this is a movement to make sure systematic voter disenfranchisement does not occur in future elections.

For Inspiration:

Senator Barbara Boxer and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones' Statements to the Press

Statement of Rep. John Conyers

Rep. Nancy Pelosi's Statement

Our Voting System Needs a New Constitutional Foundation by Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.

What You Can Do:

If you know people who think that the voter suppression in Ohio was been 'blown out of proportion,' suggest they watch this video clip and ask if they'd have stayed in line under those conditions. Tell them the only way to avoid this in the future is significant legislation at the national level.
Read Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell's comments in the January 4th Cleveland Plain Dealer, and cringe as you ponder the idea that his statement: "Ohio actually leads the pack in election administration and trouble-free voting," might actually be true.
Weigh in on the CNN poll that asks whether Congress should look into the validity of the presidential election results in Ohio. It's certainly not scientific, but it is reading heavily on the YES side. Cast your vote.
Listen to Election Correction (.wav file, 866kb), a piece of spoken word poetry by Shahid Buttar, a lawyer and activist who answered phone calls from distraught voters on November 2nd and performed this piece at the Rally for Democracy in DC on January 6th. As you listen, ask yourself, "Do we, as a nation, want this to happen again?" Answer "No," and start making plans to pressure your elected representatives for voting reform.

For more specifics on What Went Wrong in Ohio, go to: www.votecobb.org

100+ pages of research and evidence from the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff in [PDF] or [zip] versions.

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