Columnist Jamala Rogers
The 2000 presidential election was straight up stolen by the Republicans. Most of the country was totally unprepared for it. In 2004, we thought it couldn’t happen again, but we watched as the brazen GOP did it again right up under our noses.
In 2008, there are rumblings about civil disobedience and shutting the country down as a definite response to another election theft. This time, the outrage will be led by the millions of urban, suburban and rural young folks who have carved their place in the Obama campaign. Theirs is a unilateral rejection of the status quo, and they won’t have any stealing on their watch.
After Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004, the world knows that U.S. presidential elections are neither free, nor fair, nor democratic. We may be calling for international observers to come in and help the so-called Leader of the Free World have a real election.
A movement has been growing over the last several months that is ready for battle under the banner “No More Stolen Elections!” Local coalitions comprised of legal eagles, community organizers, union activists, concerned clergy, civic leaders and just plain ole angry citizens will be circling the ballot boxes in every city and county on November 4. Until E-Day, every possible dirty trick is being anticipated.
Desperate Republicans are still trying to do their thing. Reports of absentee ballots being sent from the GOP to Democratic voters for the purpose of taking them off the voter lists are running rampant on the internet. So are reports that the GOP is using mortgage default lists to do the same thing. On the home front, we have to make sure we have sufficient, working machines at each polling site.
This election is serious biz. It is historic. There is no room for errors by voters or the Board of Election. So here is my check list for voters:
1) Make sure your name is on the voter lists now to avoid problems at the polls.
2) Vote absentee ballot if you are eligible. Vote at midday n it gives the polling sites time to work out the kinks, and lines are not as long as in the morning or evening.
3) If at all possible, use a paper ballot. GOP friend Diebold still makes the touch-screen voting machines which have no paper trails. Remember in the states where there was the most problems with voting machines, Ohio and Florida, Republicans “won.” 4) If you are a new voter, go to the Board of Elections prior to Election Day to get an orientation of the process. November 4 is not a good day to learn a new task.
5) Make sure family, friends and others you know go to the polls, educated about the issues and the candidates.
If you have fading memories of the past stolen elections, there’s a number of resources to refresh it. Check out documentaries Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections, Stealing America Vote by Vote and American Blackout (with Cynthia McKinney). There’s also an excellent article by Robert Kennedy Jr. that details some of the ugly tactics used to steal the 2004 election. It can be found at:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen.
Every vote must be counted because every vote counts.