Community Values Vote

ELECTION ANALYSIS: The Real Winners

2008-11-06T10:39:00.001-05:00

Post-election analysis by Dushaw Hockett of the Center for Community Change:

Who are the real winners of yesterday's election? Not Democrats. Not liberals. Not progressives. But the dreamers. All of us who've been shot down, shunned or told to shut up because we dare to think we can when others say we can't.

In a short amount of years, we watched an organizer become a lawyer, a lawyer become a State Senator, a State Senator become a U.S. Senator, and a U.S. Senator become the first black President of the United States.

All of this on a message of hope, dreams and change. Remember, his story was an "unlikely" one. A Seabiscuit story. Maybe an Ali (versus Liston). He was told he couldn't compete. That the odds were too big. But we pulled for him. We saw bits and pieces of ourselves in him. In return, he brought the nation (and the world) to a new high when we were all at a low.

Today we walk a little taller. Smile a little brighter. Believe a little stronger. Doubt loss. Hope won. There will be challenges and disappointments going forward. It's the human way of life. But the world is a different place this morning. It's okay to dream again.

Notable Quotes Responding to Obama's Win

2008-11-05T19:45:00.003-05:00

Following are two quotes from statements by partner organizations in response to the election of Barack Obama to the office of President of the United States.

Angelica Salas, Executive Director of Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

"For all us who seek justice and change, President-Elect Obama's selection is proof that even in times of great anxiety our nation can come together and give democracy the chance it deserves. The significant participation by immigrants in this election cycle will bring with it greater visibility and political strength, especially as we advocate on behalf of millions of immigrant families who must forego their American dream because of our country's broken immigration laws."

Hugh Espey, Executive Director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement

"Community organizers and everyday people from all across the state congratulate Senator Barack Obama on his historic victory and are proud of the role his community organizing experience played in leading to his win. ... Nov. 4 marked a critical day in our nation's history, and it is just the beginning of what's to come. Everyday Iowans deserve to set the political agenda. Community organizing and Iowans mobilizing from all across the state will continue to play a key role in our electoral process, making sure we all have the opportunity to succeed."

MASSACHUSETTS: Ricardo From the Alliance To Develop Power About His First Time Voting

2008-11-05T15:22:00.002-05:00

Check out this video by the Alliance to Develop Power (ADP):

Translation:

Camera Person: "What is your name?"

My name is Ricardo Alfaro Serna. I have been living in the United States for 35 years. One of my goals in life was to become a citizen of this country. Thanks to God, after these 35 years, I achieved this goal. And, I am in the ADP's Worker Center/Casa Obrera (the Alliance to Develop Power) fighting for a better future. I was one of a group of 300 new members who went to City Hall to vote. I feel proud. I brought the pamphlet telling me where I needed to go to vote. I think that my story has been perfect for this election. The candidates want change and I am a person of change. You have to fight for this (the flag). We are going to vote for change.

Camera Person: "Well done, Ricardo. And what is a specific change that you all hope to see?"

Ricardo: "Well, some of the changes would be in healthcare, education and bringing home the troops, no more wars or investment in Wars both here and in Latin America.

These are some of the reasons why we have been campaigning to get out the vote. We have called 5,000 people, urging them to vote. We have invited people over the phone to come to the polls. Our campaign has been successful. And all of these achievements are with one sole purpose: change.

IOWA: Postville Streets Empty As Immigration Officials Return

2008-11-05T12:59:00.002-05:00

Remember yesterday when we posted a story about an immigration raid in Iowa during Election Day? Here's another story in the Des Moines Register. Marissa Graciosa with the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) and Erica Palmer from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) are quoted:

By GRANT SCHULTE

Federal immigration agents returned to Agriprocessors Inc. on Tuesday and arrested one suspected illegal immigrant in a follow-up to a May raid, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said.

The secretive operation shocked an already rattled Postville, which has struggled in recent weeks as the kosher meat plant - the city's largest employer - verges on financial collapse.

Agents descended on the plant Tuesday afternoon, said two church pastors who have helped the company's workers in recent months. Frightened plant employees then began arriving at St. Bridget's Catholic Church, they said.

"Our office is in a state of chaos," said the Rev. Paul Ouderkirk of St. Bridget's Catholic Church. "We have people coming off the streets right now in fear."

Agriprocessors was the site of one of the nation's largest single-site immigration raids in May. Federal agents detained 389 illegal immigrant workers in an investigation that continued the national debate over immigration and led to criminal charges against a top executive.

One woman who arrived at the church said agents arrested her husband, who is Hispanic, said the Rev. Steve Brackett of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville. Brackett said Postville's streets emptied quickly as word spread that immigration agents had arrived.

Tim Counts, an ICE spokesman, said agents arrested one man at the plant who was a suspected illegal immigrant. Counts declined to identify the man, but confirmed that agents were still present at the plant Tuesday evening.

Bob Teig, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney, confirmed that ICE agents had visited the plant but declined to disclose the reason.

Federal authorities typically release criminal complaints and other case information through an online registry of court records. No records connected to Agriprocessors had been posted to the site by Tuesday evening.

Authorities can detain suspected illegal immigrants without public notice if no criminal charges are filed, Counts said. He said ICE generally confirms the arrest of specific individuals if they are given the person's name.

An advocate for immigration reform criticized the federal action and its timing.

"It's appalling that the federal agents chose today, Election Day, to spread fear amongst the residents of Postville," said Marissa Graciosa, director of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement.

Erica Palmer, a community organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, called the action "inhumane and destructive to our community fabric."

Tuesday's operation followed a devastating month for Agriprocessors. Federal agents in October arrested Sholom Rubashkin, 49, a top plant manager, on immigration and identity-theft charges. A St. Louis bank alleged in a lawsuit that the company had defaulted on a $35 million loan. Iowa's Labor Department proposed nearly $10 million in fines for assorted labor violations. And the company reportedly owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to Alliant Energy and nearly $70,000 to the city of Postville.

Chaim Abrahams, an Agriprocessors spokesman, did not return several phone messages Tuesday.

Brackett said that the raid and its recent aftershocks threaten Postville's future. The plant came in the 1980s and brought jobs and workers from nearly 20 countries.

"I just shake my head and think, who could think of this as a good idea?" Brackett said.

Obama Wins! What's Next? [OPEN THREAD]

2008-11-04T23:05:00.000-05:00

As we've seen all day on this blog, grassroots organizations have played a historic role in this election, inspiring and turning out voters like never before. And the tools and strategies of community organizing were instrumental as a former community organizer rose to the highest office in the land.

Those of us who are stunned that moment arrived --- that an African American former community organizer who ran on the simple idea that we, as a people, can do more together than we can do alone and that our common good must be the common purpose of our people --- we must not forget that this moment is just the beginning. Tomorrow, the work continues and the next phase begins --- as we define how this overwhelming public sentiment will translate into real policy changes and real differences in the lives of Americans clearly so desperate for change.

Tell us what you think. When we say that American voters stood together for an America that will finally work for all of us, what does that mean to you? What do you think should be at the top of the agenda for President Obama? And what do you think is the path ahead for grassroots organizations to ensure that agenda comes true?

This moment is born of the promises of our nation's past and the potential of our future. Onward.

WASHINGTON: Helping A New Voter Get To The Polls

2008-11-04T22:42:00.002-05:00

Here's another inspiring story about the important work that volunteers are doing to help their neighbors participate in this election. This story from Washington CAN! is an example of many other stories around the country.

A major focus of Washington CAN!'s get-out-the-vote work this year has been new voters from immigrant communities. This year, Washington's many immigrant communities are turning out in unprecedented numbers, in districts across the state where they've been traditionally underrepresented.

Tonight, a volunteer doing GOTV phone-banking spoke with Maryan, originally from Somalia, now living in south Seattle. Maryan has been a citizen for four years, and registered for the first time this year. A mother of three, she felt that she needed to make sure that candidates that shared her values got into office. She was very excited to vote, but hadn't received the absentee ballot she'd requested. She knew she would have to go to her polling place, but she didn't know where it was and she worried about not knowing what to do if and when she got there.

Our volunteer put her in touch with Washington CAN staff who not only helped her locate her polling place, but drove her and her kids there and helped them navigate this important new experience.

Maryan is proud that she was able to do her part tonight by voting. Her children are proud, too.

And those of us lucky enough to be doing this work today, wherever we are, can be proud that our efforts helped one more of America's newest voters cast the first ballot of her life.

WISCONSIN: Hundreds of Youth Inspire Voters to the Polls in Wisconsin

2008-11-04T22:39:00.006-05:00

Dave Moore of Voces de la Frontera Youth Organizer sends this update:

The polls have just closed here in Wisconsin after a day that has seen a massive youth led effort to get out the vote - more than 600 took part between Racine and Milwaukee. Melanie Benesh, Voces de la Frontera Youth Organizer, literally just arrived back in the office and gave this audio report.

Listen to it here.

As The Spin Starts, POST THOSE PHOTOS!

2008-11-04T22:14:00.000-05:00

If you're watching the Election Night coverage like I am, the pundits are starting to shift from debating the electoral map to debating how the next president should govern.

how what you stand for and post a picture here with our "I VOTED COMMUNITY VALUES" sign --- to be part of the drumbeat for bold, transformative change at the top of the agenda, not more of the same cautious centrism we've seen in the past. It will make a difference here --- and we'll use your picture as part of the ongoing lobbying efforts through the Campaign for Community Values.

Let's see those smiling faces!

Send your photos to: dchin@communitychange.org

Big News On Election Day: There's No Big News!

2008-11-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

As we were preparing for this blog, we prepped dozens of grassroots organizations around the country to pounce on stories of overwhelmed and malfunctioning polling places or outrageous voter suppression. And to be sure, we've heard some disconcerting tales --- from a repeat immigration raid timed for Election Day in Postville, Iowa, to riot police preparing to take the streets in Toledo, Ohio.

But it seems to us, the overwhelming story this election is that while voter turnout appears to be on track for a record high --- thanks in no small part to the work of community organizations across the country turning out voters, including the ones on this blog --- democracy has survived mostly unscathed and the election appears to be going smoothly.

The media and blogosphere seems to be exaggerating every report of the slightest problem, and while I don't mean to suggest any reports of wrongdoing and suppression should be ignored, it does seem that at the end of the day, we will be able to celebrate the day that our democracy was tested by overwhelming enthusiasm and came out the other end having proved itself durable.

Am I wrong?

CALIFORNIA: Story of a Polling Station Inspector

2008-11-04T21:55:00.003-05:00

Our colleague, Mari Lopez from the California Partnership sent another profile of a leader who is volunteering at the polls to help her neighbors vote.

Los Angeles, California

Yolanda James is working the polls today as an polling station inspector. She is on the other side of the table from where she has been during the time leading up to the elections. After working the streets to tell people about the election, the propositions, and their rights at the polling booth, she is now working at a Los Angeles polling precinct. Yolanda has also personally registered 450 people to vote.

“It’s important for me to do this because this election is so important and so historic,” according to Yolanda. “I’ve spent months making sure people who can vote are registered, understand the propositions on the ballot – and there are a lot – where their precinct is, and are going out to vote. Now, by working the polls as a worker for the county, I can make sure anyone who wants to vote are able to vote without any problems.” Yolanda, who volunteers for Coalition Los Angeles an organization that works on behalf of low-income communities, is a veteran of L.A. politics. She has registered new voters, walked precincts, phone-banked, attended rallies and anything else that helps bring people out to vote. “This particular election is special. These two tickets are making history” said Yolanda.

Yolanda has worked non-stop since August and won’t stop until 10 p.m. west coast time. The polls close at 8 p.m. but as an inspector she will be responsible for delivering votes cast at her polling precinct. “I’ll be here until every last voter in line at by 8 p.m. gets to vote!”

TENNESSEE: Organizing Led to Smooth Election Day in Nashville

2008-11-04T21:43:00.005-05:00

Our partner, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition sent us this update on how their organizing to get voters to the polls early helped Election Day go smoothly in Nashville.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and the Our Voice, Our Vote campaign strongly encouraged immigrant voters to participate in Tennessee's Early Voting, and the efforts paid off! Phone bankers, canvassers, and poll monitors discovered today that much of Nashville's immigrant population voted before November 4^th, many of them citing the early voting mailings, phone calls, and Community Voting Days held by the campaign as reasons for their decision. These far-reaching, coordinated efforts happened only because of the participation of a variety of community groups, ranging from Asociación Latina to the Sudanese Center of Nashville.

Community groups also collaborated to make sure that all voters had a ride to the polls. The Our Voice, Our Vote campaign partnered with the Nashville Metro Taxi Drivers Association (many of whose members are also immigrants) and community volunteers to provide free rides both during Early Voting and on Election Day.

The result of this community-wide organization was that today went relatively smoothly! Lines were long only in the morning at most polling places, and few voters experienced Election Day difficulties. There have been a few reported cases of translation services being denied to voters, but widespread voter suppression has not been indicated.

NEW MEXICO: Organizer Helps First-Time Voter To The Polls!

2008-11-04T19:49:00.002-05:00

Somos un Pueblo's volunteers drove miles to meet with first-time voters who had doubts about the electoral process and/or paper ballot. Flores has a pending judicial case, therefore, he can't vote. His situation motivated him to volunteer in Somos un Pueblo Unido and help those who could vote, but didn't know how or didn't have a ride.

And here Flores is helping out this first-time voter (in Spanish):

WASHINGTON: Washington CAN Is Not Quitting Yet!

2008-11-04T19:49:00.000-05:00

Some great news from Washington CAN!:

With just over three hours until the polls close in Washington State, Washington CAN staff and volunteer phone-bankers and field canvassers are still working like crazy. And they're not going to quit until they've contacted every last possible voter to made sure their ballots are in.

Tonight marks the end of a two month get out the vote drive. By the end of the day, Washington CAN will have knocked on 70,000 doors and made 305,000 phone calls.

They're making democracy work one door and phone at a time.

PHOTOS: We ALSO Voted Community Values

2008-11-04T19:33:00.000-05:00

Oh, and we can't forget our team holding down the fort in Washington, DC. We've asked groups around the country to post their pictures, too! Get in on the action and show your part of the Community Values movement that wants America to finally work for all of us!

NEVADA: Things are Going Smoothly Thanks to Great Phone Bank Volunteers!

2008-11-04T19:20:00.006-05:00

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada reports that things are going pretty smoothly. There have been a few cases where ex-felons who thought they were registered were purged from the voting rolls, but that's still legal, unfortunately. PLAN's staff and leaders are working with people who were purged on an individual basis to make sure they get re-registered with the correct procedures.

Here's another great update from our partner in Nevada!

Staffers and volunteers with various groups started the day in Nevada with a 6:30 a.m. literature drop focusing on communities of color. They followed up with media requests, providing rides to the polls and a phone bank that will keep going until the polls close at 7 p.m.

The phone bank is at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and the room is swamped with volunteers from various organizations.

Teresa Felix-Chavez, 48, is working with PLAN to get out the vote. She’s not just doing it for herself. She’s doing it for her 13 brothers and sisters.

Her sisters work in Las Vegas’ casinos, her brothers in construction. “Everybody is working,” she notes, a not-uncommon scenario for many families in Southern Nevada. Felix-Chavez became politically active during the 2004 elections, but she thinks this election is the Big Leagues.

“There is a big, big difference,” says Felix-Chavez, who spent Election Day working with PLAN and Center for Community Change staffers in a phone bank, along with about two dozen other people, many of them volunteers, working to get out the vote. “The difference is, there are many Hispanic people voting now. I think we’ve learned how important the vote is. For everybody, not just Hispanics.”

Felix-Chavez says people in this year’s election are focused on education, the economy and health care. The last issue is especially important to her because several years ago, she was involved in a car accident that crushed five vertebrae in her back. Felix-Chavez does not have health insurance, and like everyone in that situation, she struggles to find and pay for health care.

“We need universal health care,” she says.

Felix-Chavez joins Maria Sandoval Flores, 20, a College of Southern Nevada student, on the phone bank.

“This election is big, it’s huge,” says Sandoval Flores. “Any election is, but this election – we have a woman, we have an African American. I think we need people who don’t usually vote to get out and be heard, and that’s what PLAN is doing. We’re getting people that other people don’t care about.”

Sandoval Flores’ mother is a single mother of five. One brother, who has no health insurance, is dealing with kidney failure and has thousands of dollars in medical bills. So for her, the struggle for meaningful reforms to the health care system is personal.

So for the last several weeks, Sandoval Flores has been talking to about three-dozen people a night, working to get out the vote, one vote at a time.

PHOTOS: We Voted Community Values

2008-11-04T19:15:00.000-05:00

Here's some of our New York team showing our allegiance this election. We've asked groups around the country to post their pictures, too! Get in on the action and show your part of the Community Values movement that wants America to finally work for all of us!

FLORIDA VOTER STORY: Direct Action Gets The Vote

2008-11-04T19:13:00.002-05:00

Joseph Phelan with the Miami Workers Center shares his experience as a community vote defender:

A man with sun browned skin and rough hands walks out of the the polling place at de Hostos Community Center in Wynwood, smiling and a gathered crowd erupts into cheers. He had just voted, with a little help from community vote defenders.

(l-r) Ramos, Lassalle, Davalia, happy after a successfully protecting the vote

Just minutes earlier he had been locked out of the electoral process.

"We said 'hi' as he walked into the poll," explained Osvaldo Ramos, a Take Back the Vote canvasser. "Then a little while later he came back out."

"They wouldn't let him vote," chimed in Amelia Davilia, another TBV canvasser.

The man, Emilio Lassalle Jr., didn't have ID.

"I didn't know I needed ID. I'm Puerto Rican. I am my ID," Lassalle said later.

"We talked to him about his rights and told him he was entitled to cast a provisional ballot. So he went back in," said Ramos.

"This time when he came out he had tears on his cheeks. He was so frustrated and humiliated," added Davilia.

The canvassers jumped into action and called the TBV headquarters to report the problem. A team of thirty voter defenders piled into the "Party Truck," an old bread truck plastered with banners, pumping out funk and hip hop on a generator powered sound system.

"When we got here we parked the truck blasted the music, got out the bull horns and started chanting," said Tony Romano, organizing director with the Miami Workers Center. "it got the poll workers attention. They told us 'No ID, no vote.' But we know that is illegal so we kept on pushing, kept on drawing attention to the situation."

Eventually, Lassalle, escorted by a TBV vote defender, was allowed back into the poll to cast his provisional ballot.

"I lost my wallet. What was I supposed to do?" Lassalle asks nobody, and everybody. "If they didn't let me vote I would never have voted again. I was fed up with it."

After posing for a few pictures with the smiling Lassalle, the vote defenders piled into the "Party Truck", cranked up some James Brown, and rolled into the darkening night, ready to defend the right to vote.

Oh and check out this video featuring Darville Williams, an intern at the Miami Workers Center on how more work needs to be done after the elections:

IOWA: Immigration Raid in Postville!!!

2008-11-04T18:43:00.002-05:00

This is horrible. We just got news that there was an immigration raid at Agriprocessors, Inc. in Postville, IA today. This same plant just was raided back in May. Voters and GOTV volunteers, don't be intimidated!

Federal agents returned to Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville on Tuesday in an apparent follow-up to a May immigration raid and have arrested at least one Hispanic employee, local religious leaders said.

Agents descended on the kosher meat plant this afternoon, said two church pastors who have helped the plant’s workers in recent months. Workers began arriving at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church seeking help, they said.

“Our office is in a state of chaos,” said the Rev. Paul Ouderkirk, pastor at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church. “We have people coming off the streets right now in fear.”

Agriprocessors was the site of one of the largest single-site immigration raids in May. Federal agents detained 389 illegal immigrant workers in an investigation that spurred the national debate over immigration and led to criminal charges against a top executive.

One woman who arrived at the church said agents arrested her husband at the plant, said the Rev. Steve Brackett. Brackett said Postville’s streets emptied quickly as word spread that federal agents had arrived.

“We only have one confirmed report of an arrest right now,” Brackett said. “The assumption is, they’re here for additional people.”

Tim Counts, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, referred all questions to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Bob Teig, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney, did not return two phone messages.

VIRGINIA: Organizing Prevents Voter Suppression

2008-11-04T18:40:00.004-05:00

We were hearing a lot of alarming news reports about problems with long lines, machine malfunctions, and dirty tricks in Virginia. So, I contacted Joe Szakos, Director of the Virginia Organizing Project, to get the real story and find out how bad things really are. I have to admit that I was hoping for disaster, but it turns out that things really aren’t as bad as SOME IN the media would like us to believe – thanks to smart organizing by a coalition of 13 organizations across the state, working with a team of lawyers.

“Honestly, the reports of polling site problems and voter suppression are overblown,” Joe told me. “Things certainly haven’t been perfect, but a lot of work was done in advance to make sure Election Day wasn’t a disaster in the Commonwealth.”

Joe says that the concerns about long lines at polling sites are real. The lines are very long; some reports say that people have 5-hour waits ahead of them, but that’s only in a few places. In most places, people were in line for an hour at most. Also, anyone who is in line by 7:00 P.M. – the official closing time for the polls in Virginia – will be able to vote.

There have also been reports about machine malfunctions and machine shortages. However, a lot of groups organized to make sure that their local registrars planned for the increased turnout this election. For instance, in Charlottesville, they were using the electronic machines, but the local registrar – after discussions with local leaders – made sure that people also had the option to use the old-style paper ballots.

Joe told me that many of the stories about dirty tricks and concerns about student disenfranchisement were actually old news. For instance, there have been a lot of public service announcements and other communications in Virginia to make sure that people don’t fall for the fliers and robo-calls telling people to vote tomorrow.

“In a lot of ways it hasn’t been as bad as we thought it might be, so we are very relieved,” Joe told me. It’s encouraging to know that organizations around Virginia anticipated the problems and took action to ensure that there were plans in place to mitigate any potential obstacles to full voter participation.

VIRGINIA: Organizers Working Above And Beyond To Get Out The Vote

2008-11-04T18:37:00.003-05:00

Nicola Wells, organizer with FIRM, talks to us about the role of community organizers getting out the vote:

In the face of numerous reports of voter suppression in VA we had over 90 folks come out to walk the streets of Annandale, VA for over 6 hours today encouraging over 6000 people to get to the polls.

While most media today focused on the wet ballots and long lines in VA, important stories in their own right, the real story for me was the courage and energy of these 90 people that braved rain, cold, and potch dark to search out potential voters and help encourage them to the polls. In some of these places you couldn't even see two feet in front of your face because of the rain and nightfall, but these folks stayed on the street and kept turning people out to the polls.

We hope to celebrate a winner in this election, but for us in northern VA the candidate won't be the only one that won. Our communities and our organizations have been strengthened by building GOTV programs that have built a new part of the foundation of or organizations for years to come. That is the power and the promise of community organizing.

IOWA: Voters report mix-ups and "spoiled" ballots in Iowa

2008-11-04T18:33:00.003-05:00

We have an article from the Des Moines Register about voting problems in Iowa, It features Hugh Espey of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI), whose organization helped break the story about student voting problems:

Election Day brought voter registration mix-ups in Des Moines, broken ballot scanners in Indianola, “spoiled” ballots in Urbandale and a voting controversy at Grinnell College.

Members of a special precinct board will review a challenge to 50 Grinnell students’ absentee ballots at a hearing Thursday. Leaders of the Poweshiek County Republican Party wanted election officials to toss the votes because the students used the school’s mailing address on the ballots instead of their own campus addresses.

Grinnell College students have their own post office box numbers. The complaint, filed Monday, alleges the school’s mailing address doesn’t match the students’ residential addresses.

County officials said they didn’t know if the flap would impact election results there. But community activists urged election officials not to delay in resolving the matter.

“These students should not be penalized for following the guidelines,” said Hugh Espey, executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, in a statement.

Read the rest here.

Voter Suppression: Stories from the South

2008-11-04T17:54:00.003-05:00

Take a look at some of these stories from Facing South about voting problems in the South:

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/ - VA, GA and FL are the "ground zeros" of today's election – specifically VA. In VA, there has been: votes of college-aged students blocked, precincts overwhelmed and dirty tricks like flyers robo-calls with misinformation. The piece includes links on stories for each.

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/11/voting-rights-watch-virginia-tech.asp - Earlier this election season, the voting registrar for Blacksburg, Va. issued a statement threatening a loss of student aid and other serious repercussions if students at Virginia Tech registered to vote using an on-campus address. Though the registrar eventually retracted the statement, students at the school are facing other problems this Election Day – the major polling precinct in the area has registered 5,000 voters, double the legal limit for a single polling location.

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/11/voting-rights-watch-voter-protection.asp - Because of the various issues in the state (including massive machine failures, more than two dozen precincts opening late, voters turned away from the polls, and voter intimidation) Election Protection will extend its hours in Virginia tonight.

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/11/voting-rights-watch-fl-and-ga-leading.asp - 80,000 voters so far have called the Election Protection hotline -- 1-866-OUR-VOTE -- the national number set up by non-profits to handle voter problems, according to the Huffington Post. Election Protection reported yesterday that Florida and Georgia have been leaders nationally in complaints. The piece goes on to detail some of the issues facing the states.

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/11/voting-rights-watch-gas-inconsistent.asp - Details of the massive voter purging in Georgia that are thought to have lead to the large number of callas to the Election Protection hotline today.

CALIFORNIA: Priest Gets Out The Vote

2008-11-04T17:47:00.001-05:00

We got this update from Mari Lopez, who works at the California Partnership, which is a statewide coalition fighting poverty in California.

San Bernardino -- Father Patricio Guillen and Ramon Vera, from Liberia del Pueblo, an immigrant help center, endured Monday night rain to talk to voters before Tuesday’s election. They were determined to complete their voter contact list before the night ended. This morning they hit the streets again talking to those who have not yet cast their vote.

“We’ve been talking to as many registered voters as we can, whether they’re first time voters, older voters or anybody. We’ve even spoken to some veterans. Most everybody is saying they want change” said Father Guillen.

San Bernardino, a county that is heavily Latino is also a county where there are few resources for low-income families. “The people we’ve spoken to are concerned about the economy, health care and education. Even a veteran that we spoke with said that because of the economy, San Bernardino is going to need more money for social programs to help poor people with kids. That’s why he is voting,” added the 82 year-old priest. “Most people we've talked to are very hopeful.”

Father Guillen and Liberia del Pueblo have been involved in projects to mobilize the immigrant vote since early this year in San Bernardino. They have focused their efforts particularly on mobilizing Latino voters in anticipation of the record number of voters expected at the polls. They’ve worked to make sure that Latinos understand their rights, the propositions on the ballot in California and where to vote.

Father Guillen feels a particular responsibility during elections. “I’m out because when people see a priest walking for this election it really gets their attention. Part of our religious conviction is to participate not only in church matters but also in civic matters. And that’s what I tell people when I talk to them. But what’s most important, I tell them is that they go out and vote!”

MAINE VOTER STORY: Organizing Makes Voting Possible

2008-11-04T17:31:00.008-05:00

We were all really moved by this story from Amy Halsted with Maine People's Alliance, the statewide grassroots organization in Maine. It's the story of a woman who would not have voted without the intervention of a community organizer. And don't think for a second this is the exception to the rule. We already heard Evelyn's story in Washington State, too. Just a few of the examples of how neighbor-to-neighbor voter organizing makes an immediate and lasting difference.

This is a photo of a woman who I brought to vote today. Her story is a great example of how important our all our hard work this summer and fall has been!

She called the MPA office when she got home this afternoon and saw she missed a call from a number she didn’t recognize (she was someone we registered this summer). I answered her call and explained that we were just calling folks to remind them how important it is to vote today and to offer rides to the polls. I asked her if she had voted yet.

She told me she had tried to vote at the local school where the rest of her family votes, but they turned her away saying she had to go down to city hall since she no longer lives in the same house with her extended family. She was worried about finding a parking space near City Hall—she told me last time she tried to park in that area of the city she got a $100 ticket that took her forever to pay off.

She had decided, before we spoke, not to vote.

I told her I could bring her to City Hall and wait outside in my car while she voted and then take her back home, and she agreed. In the car, I learned that she was born in Africa, has lived in America for 12 years, and is one semester away from getting her degree in social work from University of Southern Maine. She’s a single mom of a four-year-old boy and has another baby due in March. She lives in a housing development in Portland and told me how hard it has been to make it through school with a young child and how much she wants a president that will fight for people like her who are working hard and just trying to make a better life for their families.

Since she has moved three times this year and didn’t have proof of her current address, it took her 40 minutes to fill out the paperwork, register and vote (and there wasn’t even a line!). When I dropped her off at home afterwards, she thanked me profusely and said how good she felt that she had taken the time to do it!

MISSOURI VOTER TURNOUT: Report from Robin Acree ED of GRO on GOTV Efforts

2008-11-04T17:27:00.002-05:00

Seth Borgos of the Center for Community Change got a chance to catch up with Robin Acree, executive director of GRO-Grassroots Organizing about her team's efforts in Mexico, MO.

Listen to a seasoned organizer talk about her GOTV efforts in the region here.

CROSS-POST: Huffington Post

2008-11-04T17:25:00.003-05:00

If you have a minute, check out this piece I just posted on the Huffington Post with highlights from the Community Values Vote blog. And post a comment while you're there!

TENNESSEE: Youth Canvassers Help Get Out the Immigrant Vote in Tennessee

2008-11-04T17:03:00.006-05:00

This was shared by Karen Usselman at the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition:

They might be too young to vote, but they aren't too young to make a difference in their community! Election Day is a school holiday in Davidson County, and many high school students from the Salahadeen Center of Nashville are using the opportunity to knock on doors and encourage their neighbors to vote.

The students are mostly Kurdish, and they have been canvassing and phone banking for almost a week with the "Our Voice, Our Vote" campaign. The area they are targeting is one of the most diverse in Nashville, consisting of Middle Easterners, Asians, and Latinos, and many of their neighbors are first time voters.

The response to their campaign has been outstanding! Virtually all of the people the students talked to had either already voted or planned to, many of them as a result of earlier phone calls made by the campaign. Kasar, one of the organizers of the campaign, said "I've been in the U.S. since 1991, and I've never seen the immigrant community so excited about an election."

WASHINGTON: OneAmerica Hits Some Big Numbers

2008-11-04T16:58:00.003-05:00

Our friends at OneAmerica in Washington have been experiencing great success. Some numbers:

Registering more than 23,000 voters
OneAmerica volunteers knocking on more than 3,300 doors, mailing more than 79,600 pieces of literature and making more than 20,100 calls.
From their efforts, having 6,383 voters cast early ballots.

Today they continued their push, and should easily surpass their goal of getting 7,388 voters to the polls.

VIRGINIA TURNOUT: William & Mary Students Lead GOTV

2008-11-04T16:51:00.004-05:00

Here's a dispatch from Williamsburg, Virginia, by Ben Thacker-Gwaltney, an organizer with the Virginia Organizing Project:

A perfect fall day set the scene for a group of fifty-five volunteers from the a service fraternity at the College of William & Mary this past Saturday. The pledge class from Alpha Phi Omega partnered with the Virginia Organizing Project to deliver door-hangers to over 4500 doors in the Williamsburg area in just three hours. Focusing on neighborhoods of color and low to moderate income communities, the door-hanger encouraged voters to come out on Tuesday and reminded them of poll hours and locations. It also provided the number of the local NAACP office--which is coordinating rides to the polls for the day--plus the election protection number 1-800-OUR-VOTE.

The City of Williamsburg set records this year with new voter registration levels topping 12%, a record for the state of Virginia. Many of those registrations came through the work of students who registered their fellow young people as well as other members of the city community. Working for the Virginia Organizing Project, W&M student Cherie Seise and her three co-interns knocked on almost 10,000 doors over the summer.

African-American neighborhoods all across the region mobilized to get their neighbors to the polls to vote today. VOP partners in the Grove neighborhood recruited a local church to serve as a clearing house for election questions and rides to the polls. Young people from the community distributed over 1,000 door-hangers this past Saturday from the VOP to help crowd the polling places today. Ms. Angela Dennis from Ironbound Square activated their phone tree yesterday. "Yes, we will meet down at the park for a little tea and then all go over to the Recreation Center together," she said.

ILLINOIS VOTER TURNOUT: Huge Effort To Turnout Immigrant Voters

2008-11-04T16:47:00.003-05:00

From our partners at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights:

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) in coordination with host organizations, campaign fellows, and hundreds of volunteers are getting out the immigrant vote in an unprecedented effort. ICIRR’S New Americans Democracy Project “Our Vote is Power” campaign seeks to mobilize 144,000 immigrant voters today in the Latino, Asian, South Asian, Polish, Arab and Muslim communities of Chicago and suburbs.

Starting at 6am today, volunteers arrived to the campaign headquarters. They were trained and sent to knock on doors, drop literature with polling place information and to place posters in businesses encouraging voters to go to the polls. After only 2 hours of work, several of the precincts reported hundreds of voters casting their ballots. In addition, 65 high school seniors have been conducting exit polling since 7 this morning in designated areas including precincts in Waukegan, Joliet, Aurora, Bridgeview, Melrose Park, Berwyn, and other areas of south, north, and west Chicago.

Below, please find the campaign headquarters’ addresses and people to contact if your media outlet is interested in recording activity about our efforts to mobilize non-partisan immigrant vote as well as to interview E-Day coordinators and volunteers.

COLORADO VOTER SUPPRESSION: Spanish-Speaking Voters Air Complaints in Weld County

2008-11-04T16:43:00.003-05:00

This just in! Our friends at the Colorado Progressive Coalition report that some Spanish-speaking voters were given voting instructions that were printed only in English and that few translators were available to explain them.

Here's the story.

VIRGINIA TURNOUT: Update from VOP

2008-11-04T16:42:00.004-05:00

Here's a report from Harold Folley Jr., an Organizer with the Virginia Organizing Project

Even though I cannot vote here in Virginia (until the Governor restores
my voting rights), I spent the day giving people rides to the polls. It
was inspiring to hear the stories of the individuals who I drove to the
polls. It encouraged me to continue to fight for my right -- and the
rights of others -- to get to vote. It was sad to be reminded of all
the disenfranchised people in the state. We have to fight for changes
in Virginia to make sure EVERYONE can vote.

But I'm as optimistic as ever. There is so much energy today!

One woman in her '50s, voting for the first time, was so impressed with
how easy it was to vote. She promised she will be a regular voter now!

WASHINGTON VOTER TURNOUT: King County Online Poll-Finder Overloaded, Down

2008-11-04T16:30:00.006-05:00

Breaking News in King's County, Washington from our partners at Washington Community Action Network:

News From the King County Elections office is that the feature on their website that allows voters to look up their polling place by entering their address is down. In the first hours after the polls opened at 7am the page received unprecedented traffic and subsequently crashed.

According to workers at the county elections hotline (206-296-VOTE), the phone's been ringing off the hook. They will be answering any and all questions, and even texting polling locations for concerned voters all day.

CALIFORNIA VOTER STORY: After 28 Years In US, Voting For 1st Time

2008-11-04T16:20:00.005-05:00

Here's an amazing story coming from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA):

Listen to a short Spanish-Language interview with Zoila here.

In 1980, Zoila Taque had a small store in Guatemala, when she decided to come to the United States on a whim. She was trying to move on from a broken-hear and thought she would try a change of scenery in the United States. She had planned to stay for a couple of years, but then found a job at a local manufacturer in Los Angeles with good health benefits. During this time she was apprehended three times in raids by immigration agents. The third time, an agent joke with her that this time she would not return to Guatemala. She grew worried, but then the agent informed her that she was eligible for legal permanent residence through 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA).

By the 1990s, Zoila was clear that she would never go back to Guatemala, the United States was her new country. But she delayed applying for citizenship for fear that she might not qualify. A good friend of hers was always telling her to go the marches, but she didn’t think her participation was necessary. In 2007, this same friend insisted that Zoila apply for citizenship. The fees were going to almost double and there was no reason not to. She cracked open a large ceramic frog that had served as her piggy bank for many years. She had enough money to pay for the application fees and less than six months later she was sworn in as a citizen.

“I feel like I have a purpose,” says Zoila of her first time voting. Twenty votes could make a difference whether or not a candidate is elected or not and I can be a part of that.

Zoila now works as a household worker, but with the economic crisis has found employers less willing to offer her the work hours she needs to make ends meet. She began to volunteer with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) in early October. She didn’t really know much about the propositions, but jumped at the chance to give back to her community and also learn more about the ballot measures on the California ballot.

“Many of the voters have spoken to haven’t read their sample ballots and don’t know that Proposition 6 will harm young people and immigrant communities. I also want people to know that the bad economy is not my or any other immigrants fault. I work and although I’m diabetic I have no health insurance. Our vote is something that can unite us.”

IOWA TURNOUT: Iowa CCI Makes Lots of Calls

2008-11-04T16:15:00.001-05:00

Here's an update on the calls that staff and volunteers with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement are making to remind people to vote ... Keep up the great work!

All in all, there have been more than 2300 households contacted. Excluding bad numbers, people without answering machines, and those who refused (hung up on us), we have spoken to or left messages with about 1440 households. Of the households we have spoken with:

89% say they are definitely voting
6% say they aren't sure whether they'll vote
5% say they will not vote

That 89% is a huge success!

FLORIDA: Update On The Ground From Florida Immigrant Coalition

2008-11-04T16:12:00.012-05:00

Maria Rodriguez from the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) provides us with an update on the ground in Miami, Florida:

So after intense get out the vote efforts for the last two weeks, today on Election Day, we anxiously wait as there is an early afternoon lull in the polls. Last night at the voter protection training we had someone that waited 7 hours to vote, in the rain! This morning waits were in the 3 hour range, but now we wonder if there’s anyone left to vote! We know it will pick up after work and are gearing up for the last push...

NEW JERSEY VOTER STORY: Voting For Those Who Can't

2008-11-04T16:09:00.004-05:00

Check out this incredible, powerful video featuring Reynalda, a volunteer with New Labor in New Jersey. It reminds us what voting is all about!

ILLINOIS: Check Out This Get Out The Vote Rally

2008-11-04T16:03:00.003-05:00

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR) will make sure that immigrants will be heard on Election Day! Some very powerful speakers here:

NEW MEXICO: Somos Un Pueblo Unido Getting Out the Vote

2008-11-04T15:58:00.002-05:00

Norma Moreno sends these photos from New Mexico:

New Mexico immigrants' rights organization Somos Un Pueblo Unido has been hard at work registering hundreds of first-time Latino voters and providing information about the voting process to thousands more who, although already registered, were considered "unlikely to vote." Over 75 Latino youth, immigrants and allies canvassed and phone banked the fastest growing Hispano/Latino working class district in Santa Fe, neighborhoods where Somos members work and live. On Election Day dozens of volunteers, many who are not eligible to vote themselves, are helping voters get to the polls and making sure that our community's vote counts.

CALIFORNIA VOTER TURNOUT: Serenading New Voters to the Polls in LA

2008-11-04T15:39:00.006-05:00

Here's a great story from our partners at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA). Adapting a song that's sung on birthdays to Election Day was a very creative strategy for getting people to vote early this morning -- and it worked too!

At least two dozen of us nervously stood outside Ms. Rosario’s home preparing to sing “las mañanitas del votante” (Voter’s Serenade) to whomever swung the front door open. It’s 5 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4. Accompanied by two acoustic guitarists, these Get Out The Vote volunteers, many of them immigrants unable to vote themselves, cleared their throats and belted away. With energy and gusto, the troubadours sang to the best of their ability urging neighbors to come out and vote.

“Estas son las mañanitas, que cantamos para ti, para los nuevos votantes, que votamos aquí. Despierta el voto despierta, mira que ya amaneció, porque nuestros votos cuentan, para una justa nación.”

The song is based on an old tradition that matches foolishness and love accompanied by mariachi at the base of someone’s window to “awaken them” from their restful sleep. In our case, the song was clearly a motivational ballad aimed at encouraging voting and reminding voters that our community’s voice can in fact impact our nation’s future.

The targets of our singing, first time voters, came out smiling and a bit embarrassed. Who wouldn’t be taken aback by the sight of 20 or so individuals struggling to stay in synch with the two harmonious guitars? Media outlets accompanying our group captured every moment and the reporters would gather the persons’ first impressions: how did you like the serenade, will you go out and vote, is this your first time voting. Yes was the answer to all the enquiries and the impromptu chorus beamed with pride.

For the younger neighbors, the singers also offered the following song:

“Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Voter John, Voter Jill, Morning polls are open, morning polls are open. Go and vote. Go and vote”.

After six first time voters accepted our offer to vote at 7 a.m. we marched along with them the length of a football field and we cheered them on as they entered the polling place, Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Again, the smiles were broad and our energy heightened when each voter emerged from the building, an “I Voted” sticker, red as a beating heart.

Photo Credit: Mayron Payes

VIRGINIA: AYUDA Reports From the Ground

2008-11-04T15:31:00.004-05:00

AYUDA provides an update about on-the-ground efforts in Virginia to get out the vote, particularly in immigrant communities:

AYUDA is one of the region's most well-known organizations that provide legal services for immigrants. This year, we conducted a Latino Voter Engagement drive, focusing on key counties in Northern Virginia. Our activities ranged from polling Latino's about what issues are important to them when they vote to holding voter registration drives at festivals and soccer tournaments. The main goal of the program was to ensure that more Latinos participated in this election. Although there is a significant population of Latino voters, in previous elections they have turned out at much lower levels then other communities. Our GOTV efforts, up to election day, have strived to make this a possibility.

Despite the menacing weather, voters in Northern Virginia are turning out in full-force. The polling places that I visited in Woodbridge, Annandale, Springfield, Chantilly, and Centreville all seemed to be working smoothly. The most common problem facing the voters is sheer volume. Fortunately the lines have shortened as the day has progressed, especially after the lunch hour. I would venture to guess that they will grow again at the end of the work day; luckily Virginia's polls are open until 7 p.m.

Our day isn't all about checking the polling places, rather about getting people the reminders the want and need. Many Latino voters who we contacted during our GOTV phone bankings asked for email, calls,and text message reminders the day of the election.One of the voters who asked for an email reminder thanked me and enthusiastically said "ya estoy listo para votar", I am very ready to vote.

This sentiment is felt across board. Arriving at a polling place, one can detect an energy created by all of the excitement. This is such a historical year, and people want to be a part of it. One of the AYUDA staff members shared the story about her father. He is a first time voter this year becuase he has recently become a US citizen after living in the US as a legal resident for over 20 years. He was so excited by the process, and so inspired by one of the candidates, that he took off work today to make sure that he could cast his vote. As a truck driver, he would have been out of the state today and he was not willing to miss out on having his voice heard.

Today has not been free from complications, however. One voter in Fairfax county was turned away from the polls today because she had requested an absentee ballot but had decided to vote in person instead. She called Fairfax County and they told her that she should bring her absentee ballot to the poll and that she could vote in person. However, when she arrived they told her that she couldn't. She talked to an election protection person and has now travelled to the Fairfax County government center to get this taken care of.

Because of the long lines, some voters are experiencing setbacks. One voter in Alexandria had to wait in line over an hour, even though she arrived at 6:10 a.m. Fortunately, those who showed up for the polls an hour later were not faced with the same wait. The same voter had problems with the poll workers when she asked for a paper ballot. They tried to convince her of how great the electronic voting machines are, but eventually she was able to use a paper ballot as requested.

Since our staff and volunteers have offered to share their observations, I am also able to report on areas outside of Northern Virginia, including Germantown, Maryland. Claus Ortega, AYUDA's office manager arrived at the voting place in Germantown at 8 am and had to wait in line 1.25 hours. Claus noted that this is the first time in an election that he saw so many people in line early in the morning, but they all looked calm and happy to be there, there was a lot of cooperation from everybody in keeping order and helping anyone who wasn't sure what to do.He also noticed that there were no campaign workers distributing pamphlets or advising voters and that the amount of voting machines has been reduced to about 10 compared to previous elections in which there about 30. Another change was that at the beginning that caught Claus' attention was that he was asked for more personal information to get his voting card (first four letters of his last name plus first two letters of his first name plus the month and day of his birthday plus the name of the street where he resides.) In previous years, there were tables for diferent alphabet groups and all he needed to do was to provide his last name.

Although we have a few hours to go to see how many people turned out, at this point it is looking promising. From seeing the overflowing polling places, hearing accounts of much higher numbers from previous years, and the sheer excitement exuded by voters, it is easy to see that the turn out numbers will not be disappointing.

CALIFORNIA VOTER STORY: Lupe Helps Mother In California To Vote

2008-11-04T15:18:00.010-05:00

Lupe Lopez from the Center for Community Change tells us her motivation for voting and how she helped her mother vote this election:

The first time I voted I was 18 years old in Puerto Rico. It was a rite of passage, which I hope is as memorable this year for first time voters (like my niece and nephew) as it was for me. At that time, it was a celebration. Election Day was a Holiday. We figured out who was going to stay home with the kids while the rest of us went to the school were we voted. Almost everyone walked, dressed in our best clothes, to our polling places. We all went to our designated classrooms, sat down, waited for the doors to close. In complete silence, each one of us stood up, went to the desk at the front of the room and got our ballots. We went back to our chairs. We voted, we stood up, we returned our ballots, we went back to our chairs. We waited, until the last one of us completed the ballot and returned it to the polling staff. We waited until the whole school voted. Then a bell rang, and all of us left the school at the same time ... it was a day off, we went home, connected with our families and friends, waited for the results. I was so proud to vote.

Today was the first time, since I moved to the United States in 1981, that I felt that sense of purpose, focus and celebration. I moved to Illinois in 2003 to a town of 1,200 people. In my small town, when I voted today at 7:00 am, there were no lines. There was constant movement ... voters coming in and out, voting, talking, greeting each other ... the beauty of voting in a small town is the feeling that we are all in this together, that differences in our choices will matter none when our community needs help, when our children need food, when our elderly need care. We may not be featured in the news, like some of our sister small towns in Wisconsin and Indiana in this election cycle, but our vote is important. We are voting not only for the next President, but also for our representative in Congress, for our state's senate and assembly, for school board, city council, judges and even our auditor and coroner. Our small town vote is important, especially when it comes to local, county and state elections. Vote, vote, vote ... and when you are done voting, help others to vote.

I helped my Mother this election cycle via a long distance call and the internet. I read to my Mother in Spanish, who lives in Southern California and is 83 years old, the multifaceted CA ballot, which included, among other things, 12 propositions. My Mother left her country at age 37. To this day, she will not vote unless she knows what she is voting for or against, and her selections are based in her values and believes. She carefully wrote her decisions on a piece of paper. When she talked earlier today with my niece, she was proud to tell her that today she will ride her electric wheelchair -- which is a scooter type machine -- down the road to her polling place. She will vote on this election, like all the other elections since her 38th year, by herself, with no further help from anyone. My niece, who is in college in Boston, was proud to tell her Grandmother that she had mailed her ballot in time for it to count in California, her home state. She is 19 years old and this is the first time she votes. My Mother, my niece and I differ politically in many ways, but there is one thing we agree on ... voting is not something to take for granted, it is a cherished privilege, and a basic step that links our three generations to our shared future. Whatever your age, whether you live in the big city, the suburbs, a non swing state, or a small town, make your vote count today.

NEW JERSEY: Santino, GOTV Canvasser from New Labor

2008-11-04T15:11:00.004-05:00

Here is a quick video from Jason Rowe at New Labor:

Santino is a GOTV canvasser for New Labor, a community organization in NJ. He is working hard to help turn out to vote voters who care about healthcare, economic justice, and just and humane immigration reform in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District.

MASSACHUSETTS VOTER STORY: Voter Travels 3 Miles In His Wheelchair To Vote!

2008-11-04T15:10:00.006-05:00

Got this AMAZING story from Alliance to Develop Power (ADP):

Joseph Miller was not going to let anything stop him from voting today. He did not even want to wait for the bus and decided to go the nearly three miles in his wheelchair. A member of the Alliance to Develop Power and resident of Greenfield Gardens, a tenant owned cooperative in a rural western Massachusetts, Joe declared that it was time for a change! "We need a new administration that will point this country in the right direction," he stated. He added that we don't just need change, but we need "the right kind of change."

CALIFORNIA VOTER TURNOUT: Lines of Voters in L.A.

2008-11-04T14:36:00.002-05:00

Here's a short update from our colleague Mari Lopez, who works at the California Partnership, which is a statewide coalition fighting poverty in California.

Today in Los Angeles, there are lines of voters across the county. First time voters, long-time voters and everyone in between are excited this Tuesday to cast a vote for the next president, to defeat or support an initiative, and to be part of this historic event!

Lines began as early as 6 a.m. in many polling locations, as people anticipated long wait times.

First time voter, Miriam Mesa was excited to cast her first vote in a U.S. election. "I am truly excited to have been able to participate in this election. I was nervous, but it was great because there were a lot of people in line already when I got there at 8 a.m. and I was happy to be there with them!" Ms. Mesa is a Cuban-American who naturalized in August 2008.

OREGON VOTER TURNOUT: Rural Voters Translate Relationships to Turnout on Election Day

2008-11-04T14:35:00.003-05:00

Here's a press release from Rural Organizing Project in Oregon about their voter turnout work:

Rural Group Supports Voters from Start to Finish on Election Day:
Building Relationships Translates to Voter Turnout

Scappoose, Oregon – In a year where much has been said about the value of community organizing and small towns, rural Oregon has a story of its own to tell about both.

Rural Organizing Project started their organizing for Election Day nearly a year ago. As one of Oregon’s only grassroots organizations that engage in non-partisan voter engagement strictly in small town and rural communities, ROP began educating and mobilizing volunteers in January through their network of 62 local human dignity groups.

An initial statewide gathering of 112 rural community leaders in Hood River in April 2008 grew to a voter mobilization effort that has included more than 412 volunteers in all 36 of Oregon’s counties. These ROP volunteers have knocked on 35,110 doors, made 6365 phone calls, held 33 ballot measure forums reaching 871 people, and distributed 65,000 voters guides by and for small town voters.

According to Ann Kneeland, a local leader with ROP member group Seeking Out Democracy in Junction City, “We’ve been around as a group for 4 years now, but it’s really in the last year that we’ve made the most gains in terms of contacts with the community.”

Like Seeking Out Democracy, another ROP member group Human Dignity Advocates in Prineville began contacting the community in May using a door-to-door survey that asked neighbor to weigh in on contentious issues of the day. This listening to neighbors approach allowed the local group to learn about the concerns in their town while also taking the first step in a relationship that carries on through Election Day. Over 400 neighbors were surveyed, sent a personal thank you note, and then invited to a community ballot measure discussion in mid-October. The group’s final contact was hand delivering voters guides with a personal greeting from their local group to 1000 households representing over 10% of the population of Prineville.

"I was really expecting a lot of door slamming," said Kathy Paterno, Human Dignity Advocates leadership team member and ROP Board member, "But there wasn't a lot of animosity at all. The intention was to have conversations with the community - to give them a chance to talk about the issues. There were people from the far left to the far right. They seemed happy to give their opinion. This election was different than others because there were a lot of people disgruntled with the way things are. We felt people were paying greater attention."

This attention from local community volunteers and persistence from the Rural Organizing Project is paying off. While voter turnout rates will not be completely known until after Election Day, as of Tuesday morning, 85% of ROP contacts had returned their ballots. This compares with a statewide voter return rate of 55% on November 2nd according to the latest figures from the Secretary of State.

Rural Organizing Project is Oregon’s grassroots organization that is moving democracy forward in rural Oregon. For more information, go to www.rop.org.

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MAINE VOTER TURNOUT: Maine People's Alliance Mobilizing Voters!

2008-11-04T14:19:00.006-05:00

Here's a quick video about how Maine People's Alliance (MPA) is getting out the vote and the values that are motivating voters this election:

Also, Andrew Dolby, from the MPA staff, sent us this update:

Here are some great pictures from the Immigrant Speakout events we organized on Saturday, November 1st in coordination with the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition. Over 70 immigrant leaders attended events in Portland and Lewiston, Maine's cities with the highest population of immigrants and refugees. They talked about issues of community concern and got mobilized to do voter outreach in immigrant and refugee communities. Today, Election Day, we have interpreters for Somali, Acholi, and Spanish at polling places in immigrant neighborhoods to assist limited-English speaking voters. There is a lot of excitement about making sure the immigrant voice heard this year!

WASHINGTON VOTER STORY: Evelyn's Story (She's 94 Years Old!)

2008-11-04T13:55:00.001-05:00

When Washington CAN! called Evelyn Slater in our campaign to get out the vote, Evelyn said she wasn't sure whether she would vote this year. She wanted to vote, and had received her ballot in the mail. But, at 94 years old, Evelyn is losing her eyesight and couldn't read her ballot and voters pamphlet.

Evelyn had become a member of Washington CAN! in July of 2005 when we were campaigning to protect and strengthen Social Security. She's remained active in fights to make quality health care affordable for everyone. We weren't going to let failing eyesight stop her from voting.

Washington CAN! phone bank staffer, Terry Baker and Executive Director, Will Pittz, made a trip to Evelyn's home in north Seattle. They spent an hour reading out loud the voter pamphlet, while Evelyn chose what and who she would vote for. On October 21st, Evelyn voted up and down her ballot -- every race, every initiative, every ballot measure.

That's what community values is all about - making sure everyone has a voice in our democracy.

NEW YORK: An Exit Poll for New Americans

2008-11-04T13:54:00.002-05:00

Norman Eng with the NY Immigration Coalition shares what his organization is doing on Election Day to monitor the polls:

Exit poll data-entry teams camped out in the NYIC's conference room.

It's a busy day at the New York Immigration Coalition, to say the least. In addition to making a final push to get immigrant voters out to the polls today, we're coordinating the citywide New Americans Exit Poll to track the voting behaviors and opinions of New York City voters, with an emphasis on voters in immigrant communities.

We have more than 120 exit pollsters stationed at 32 sites throughout the city, teams of runners and poll supervisors, and an army of data entry folks camped out in our conference room and cubicles to input the survey results as they roll in.

This is the fifth time we've run the exit poll. Past poll results have shown that, in New York City, two out of three first-time voters are foreign-born; in other words, immigrants are the driving force behind the expanding electorate here.

We expect to be here late into the evening inputing data, and we're excited to release the findings on Thursday. Thanks to Barnard College, Columbia University, the City University of New York, and the New York Latino Research and Resources Network for sponsoring the poll!

VIRGINIA: Update From The Ground In Virginia

2008-11-04T13:44:00.004-05:00

Brian Johns with the Virginia Organizing Project reports on the huge turnout in Southwest Virginia:

We have a beautiful day for voting here in Southwest Virginia.Just wanted to report about our last bit of GOTV work. First, staff and volunteers did door knocking over the weekend all over Southwestern Virginia. We talked with a lot of first time and seldom voters who were very excited about going to the polls on Tuesday. Next, we made GOTV calls most of yesterday afternoon and evening. Today, we've got one of our VOP interns driving around the county giving rides to folks, dropping off election rights information, and making sure people know their polling locations. She's getting a great response from people, including contacting a woman who called us twice to confirm that she had everything she needed to get to the poles. This woman had never voted before and made time to get to the polls in the 45 minutes she had between dropping off her kids at daycare and going to work, which won't be done until after polls close.

Based on what we've seen and heard this looks like huge turnout in Washington County and throughout Southwest VA.

OHIO: Police Ordered To Have Riot Gear Ready For Election Day "Unrest"

2008-11-04T13:25:00.001-05:00

An unbelievable report out of Toledo, Ohio, of police officers ordered to wear riot gear to deal with possible unrest during and after today's election. We're still looking for more eyewitness accounts of this from the ground. Let us know if you know anything or have pictures to share.

WASHINGTON DC VOTER TURNOUT: Get A Load of This Line

2008-11-04T13:24:00.004-05:00

Check out these videos shot by Germonique Ulmer of the Center for Community Change. Although the line was VERY long, everybody was in good spirits.

Walking up to my voting precinct in NE Washington, DC at 7:42 am, I had so much pride. Precinct 66 is traditionally one of the highest voting precincts in the District..but today was by far a first. The turnout in this older, middle class African American neighborhood was a sight to behold. In my 8 years living in this neighborhood, I've never waited more than a few minutes to register my vote. It usually took me more time to walk the parking lot up to the school than to cast my ballot. Though the line was long (a 2 hour wait in my case) wrapping around a middle school, the crowd was in good spirits. It was like the lottery when the last letter of your name was called to step up to the line and sign in to vote. Having one touch screen voting machine slowed up the process a quite a bit. Nevertheless, voters stepped up with pride to exchange their completed ballots with their "I Voted" sticker.

VIRGINIA VOTER STORY: Voters Have Fun On-line Waiting To Vote

2008-11-04T12:55:00.001-05:00

Jodi Mincemoyer in Richmond, Virginia describes the mood in her voting district:

This was my first time voting in my new community, Richmond's 3rd district. The polling place was a little disorganized and run in a hands off manner, but it was also highly CHARGED with energy. There were many elderly people with walkers and their mobile seats moving through the line. The crowd of people helped them. One set of twin sisters -88 years old- with matching walkers were just so very happy to be there. Other people brought their kids, and people in line helped to entertain them. I met some of my neighbors who i had only passed by and waved to. It was like a party without the refreshments. Great times!

NEW YORK: Mobilizing Faith Voters in Syracuse

2008-11-04T12:52:00.007-05:00

Check out the media coverage of grassroots voter mobilization work done by the Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse. Here's a story from WSYR TV and a video from syracuse.com:

Groups make final push to get people to the polls

Cicero, New York (WSYR-TV) - Even though polls open first thing in the morning, volunteers are still making a last-minute push to get people to the polls -- and those efforts will continue into Tuesday.

Efforts to get people to the polls are being conducted by Republican, Democrat and non-partisan groups.

Republican volunteers canvassed Cicero, drumming up support for congressional candidate Dale Sweetland.

The group is focusing on the fastest growing suburbs, because voters there could go either way.

“You'll have a lot of people who may need a reminder -- Need urging -- It's critical we're out {Monday night],” says Republican volunteer Chad Abbott.

Meantime, across town, the energy was palpable inside Democratic Headquarters, where volunteers had calls going out to voters all over the country.

Efforts will continue Tuesday, with volunteers standing on busy corners holding up campaign signs.

“Its not the polls that matter but who gets out to vote,” says Lisa Daly, of the group Syracuse for Obama. “We have tremendous support in this area, but it’s our job to make sure every last one get out and vote.”

To many, it's not about who you're voting for -- just that you vote.

ACTS, or Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse, has been trying to inspire potential voters for months. They'll follow through on Tuesday with more calls, door knocking and free rides to the polls.

“I'm excited. I definitely think it's one of those historic elections...something people have opportunity to make a difference and get their voice heard, make actual impact and changes in their community,” says volunteer Max Patino.

Each person working with ACTS called 1 to 200 people Monday night alone. Some weren't sure where they're supposed to vote, so ACTS will call them back in the morning -- and offer them a ride if they need it.

FLORIDA VOTER TURNOUT: Updates from the Miami Workers Center

2008-11-04T12:38:00.004-05:00

Our friend Joseph Phelan from the Miami Workers Center -- and author of this great article "Why Vote Then?" -- sent us the following updates about what's going on down in Miami on Election Day ... and check out their videos about Election Day on their youtube channel!

Here in Miami things got off to a start with long lines but by mid morning the lines seemed to evaporate. There haven’t been any major reported problems for voters. The main thing we are seeing is a lack of education around state amendments. A lot of people are showing up to the polls ready to vote for the president but not at all informed on the entire ballot.

We have also had some problems with poll workers who are aggressively trying to keep us away from voters. We have every right to talk with voters, educate them about the actual ballot, and check in with them to see if they have any problems. But some poll deputies are not really interested in having us near the polls.

But in some good news, we organized poll workers at a couple of different precincts to hand out our flyers, which include voting rights/process and an invitation to our results party tonight.

This morning several voter defense teams left from the Miami Workers Center at 6:30. They headed out to check on 21 different polling sites to ensure they opened on time. There are no reports of big problems at the polls besides the long lines.

Below are some brief reflections from a couple of members:

Chris Rice, LIFFT Member
"This morning we went to several precincts to make sure they opened on time. There weren't any real problems yet. The lines are long. But people are ready. A lot of people said they would stay out regardless of weather. They were determined. I got real pumped up from seeing all those young people out there. It is great to see all those young folks. They all want to be a part of history by voting. We pushed the issue of vote no on 2." [Note: If Amendment 2 is approved by voters it will write into the Florida state constitution that no union will be recognized besides a marriage between a man and woman. This will severely limit rights for gay and straight couples by outlawing civil unions and domestic partnership]

Mia Dennis, LIFFT member, MWC Canvasser
Speaking about organizing at the polls -
"If you are an outspoken person it is going to be kind of hard. You should start it off letting people know about their rights. Let them know how to handle the ballot. Then after that you talk to them about continuing to build power after the election and inviting them to our party. You go from talking about voting and their rights and then about building community power. "

NEW MEXICO VOTER STORY: Immigrant Votes For The First Time

2008-11-04T12:25:00.002-05:00

We got an awesome video of a first-time immigrant voter in New Mexico. Norma Moreno, an organizer with Somos Un Pueblo Unido reports:

Veronica Lozano is a first-time voter in Santa Fe, NM. Born in Califonia, but raised in Mexico, Lozano came back to the US eight years ago. Lozano said she didn't vote in the last presidential election because she didn't know how the electoral process works and she didn't ask anyone to help her. This year Somos un Pueblo Unido, a civil and immigrant rights organization in Santa Fe, NM, was able to register, and give her a ride to the Early Voting Site in the Santa Fe County Clerk's office, in Santa Fe, NM.

Translation:

Caption: Veronica Lozano – Voted for the first time – Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office

Caption: Lozano supports Immigration Reform in the United States.

Camera person: “What motivated you to vote in this Presidential Election?”

Veronica: Well, for example, we as Latinos will be able to have more help.

Camera person: “What type of help do you mean?”

Veronica: For example, the ability to have documents (for immigration status). Its important because Latinos have suffered a lot over the course of many years to come here. And once they are here they have been discriminated against for not having papers.

Camera Person: “What other issues are important to your family?”

Veronica: What I like a lot is that he is promising medical insurance for all Latinos.

Camera Person: "What was your experience of the electoral process in New Mexico like?”

Veronica: At first I was nervous, but now I am happy to have participated.

IOWA VOTER SUPPRESSION: Student Registrations Being Challenged

2008-11-04T11:58:00.004-05:00

We just got this report from Adam Mason at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement:

Sounds like a team of Republican Lawyers is challenging student registrations. This is something we are monitoring now. One of our staffers is a recent graduate from Grinnell College, so we got some word of this last night. It is also in one of our targeted areas, so we want to learn more about what is going on on the ground --- but just wanted to give you a heads up.

http://iowaindependent.com/8068/students-face-ballot-challenges-in-battleground-district

In response, the students have re-registered (same day registered) students who were challenged at their dorm room address, and there are quite a few questions in with county officials.

CROSS-POST: Community Values Vote Blog Featured on MarketWatch Website

2008-11-04T11:42:00.009-05:00

Our blog was featured on MarketWatch! Who'd have thought a financial website affiliated with the Wall Street Journal would pay attention to the grassroots energy of this election season?

"Over the last year, we've seen unprecedented people power behind this election, which is the culmination of years of grassroots organizing combined with new energy and new voters," said Gabe Gonzalez, director of the Campaign for Community Values. "On November 4th we are providing a platform for community organizers and grassroots leaders from our communities to give their perspective in an intimate way that is difficult for media to capture."

The community organizers participating in the Community Values Vote blog have deep roots in their communities and knowledge of the election process. Most are part of an effort that registered nearly 100,000 new and infrequent voters and recorded over 250,000 voter contacts in low income communities and communities of color in key states around the country. The Campaign's voter work is just the beginning of a long term strategy to strengthen the voice and power of Community Values Voters... More

VIRGINIA: Update From Virginia Organizing Project Organizer

2008-11-04T11:32:00.002-05:00

We have an update from Aisha Renee Moore with the Virginia Organizing Project in Charlottesville, VA. She's helping to drive as many voters to the poll as possible, but is finding stumbling blocks along the way:

My morning began bright and early at 5:30am as I prepared for the trek...my personal contribution to this election day. My goal. To drive as many voters to the poll as possible. I had never done this in the past (nor had I ever been as involved in a campaign) and I did not expect that in Charlottesville, Virginia (Albemarle County) there would be over 200 voters in the lines. In elections past, there have been...10...maybe! In my quest to transport one voter at 5:45am, I realized that there are some stumbling blocks that I thought would not be issues. Though some voters have their voter registration cards, they are still not sure where to vote or how. Voting district names are similar to (and in some instances the same as) poll location names. This caused me to spend over an hour with one voter. I will be sure to spread the message that we each need to check in with one another about polling locations, give encouragement to family and friends when those lines can be unbearable and ask for help at the polls if needed. Rock the vote!!

CROSS-POST: Electoral Organizing As A Means to Movement Building

2008-11-04T11:22:00.003-05:00

Here's an excerpt from an excellent article that Xiomara Corpeno, Director of Organizing at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, wrote about for CCC's Movement Vision Lab about organizing during this election season.

In the heat of a historic Presidential race, and with expectations that November 4th will bring the highest voter turnout ever, there is a lot of energy and focus on get out the vote efforts (both partisan and non-partisan). But there are also a lot of questions from activists about what will happen to that energy on November 5th. Some fear that the throngs of new people who will vote on Election Day will just celebrate or mourn the election results and then check out of the political process and wait quietly for another four years to see what happens next.

Unfortunately, this fear is not unfounded. Traditional electoral campaign work has always been about winning or losing on Election Day and then packing up the day after. Too many times, we've seen candidates make promises to bring sweeping changes, and state ballot measures in states like Arizona and California promising “Safer Neighborhoods” and to “Protect our Homes.” But soon after the elections, people realize more often than not that there is no longer anyone who is willing to listen to their concerns, except a sympathetic but powerless intern at their elected representative's local office. In the case of ballot measures, communities are left wondering why there is no money for improvement of schools, but there are two more prison's being built in their community. This campaign pattern – parachuting into communities and inundating them with campaign propaganda a couple of weeks before Election Day and then a return to business-as-usual after the ballots are cast – has left many communities and individuals feeling used and ultimately disgusted with the voting process in general.

But for many groups and organizations around the country, there is a completely different model of electoral organizing that isn’t just about parachuting in to win votes on Election Day. Many organizations like CHIRLA are conducting electoral organizing as part of a movement-building strategy. It is clear that the fight for better jobs, affordable housing, universal healthcare, quality education, just and humane immigration reform, and other important issues does not begin or end with the current election cycle. But rather elections work is an extension of our everyday work in order to make long-lasting social change in our communities and in the United States.

Read the rest of the article on the Movement Vision Lab.

NEW YORK VOTER TURNOUT: Lines, Lines and More Lines

2008-11-04T10:54:00.005-05:00

The New York staff of the Center for Community Change team rolled into the office to start blogging a wee bit later than expected due to no doubt record-breaking turnout at polling places throughout New York City. I myself went to my polling spot at PS 282 in Brooklyn, NY, at about 7:30 figuring that, in my yuppie neighborhood, turnout is probably usually high so this election wouldn't be much different. How wrong I was. After an hour-plus wait, I finally got to vote (and buy my semi-annual Election Day bake sale cupcake).

I remember being in Indonesia about four years ago during an election and seeing local villagers in the most remote parts of the country riding around with banners and signs for their favorite party, active and enthusiastic about the political process. Someone I was traveling with talked about the passion with which many people in developing countries seek out information about the candidates, carefully consider the issue platforms and wade through nearly-impossible barriers to cast their votes. He said, "They don't take democracy for granted." Well, it would appear, neither do we.

Check out the photos. They're heartening.

VIRGINIA VOTER STORIES: Voter Hassles On The Ground

2008-11-04T10:52:00.001-05:00

We got two updates from Paula at AYUDA in DC and Northern Virginia. Unfortunately, it sounds like people are having some difficulties in both Alexandria and Fairfax County. Are other people getting attitude when they ask for paper ballots?

My friend just called me. She was turned away from the polls today because she had requested an absentee ballot but had decided to vote in person instead. She called Fairfax County and they told her that she should bring her absentee ballot to the poll and that she could vote in person. However, when she arrived they told her that she couldn't. She talked to an election protection person and has now travelled to the FFx Co. government center to get this taken care of.

-- Paula, AYUDA

My sister who voted in Alexandria city experienced a 1 hour line after arriving at 6:10. She said the line was shorter though for the people who arrived at 7:00am. She requested a paper ballot and was given a bit of attitude for that though, and was told that the electronic voting machines were great, etc.
-- Paula, AYUDA

TENNESSEE - Change Memphis Volunteers Prepare Voters On Eve Of Election

2008-11-04T10:50:00.002-05:00

Change Memphis just got TV coverage from WMC-TV!

Check out the video and story here.

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - As police and others prepare for Tuesday's election, volunteers are making sure voters are prepared when they head to the polls.

Volunteers with Change Memphis spent most of the night calling people urging them to go to the polls Tuesday and exercise their right to vote.

It is all a part of the Change Memphis Community Voting Project. It is designed to register voters and increase participation and turnout in various communities. The group also strives to educate and make residents aware of the issues and amendments they'll be voting for on election day.

"We've registered people. We've followed that up by calling them on the phones, letting them know some educational stuff and proposed changes to the Memphis and Shelby County Charter on the ballot," Jacob Flowers of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center said.

Change Memphis is a non-partisan organization which does not endorse any particular party or candidate.

VIRGINIA: Update from the Virginia Organizing Project

2008-11-04T10:45:00.003-05:00

Our partners in Virginia have been doing great work across Virginia, here's an update from the Virginia Organizing Project:

The Virginia Organizing Project, a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization, has been working hard all year to encourage people to exercise their fundamental right to vote.

"We have worked in hundreds of communities, distributing non-partisan voter guides, encouraging people to register to vote and performing a wide range of get-out-the-vote activities," said Janice "Jay" Johnson, chairperson of the Virginia Organizing Project.

"From the country roads in Scott County to African-American communities in Hampton Roads, from Latino neighborhoods in northern Virginia to working class communities in Danville, from suburban areas in Fredericksburg to middle class neighborhoods in Salem, we have been very busy encouraging people to raise their voices and participate in the democratic process," Johnson said.

"The message carried by our volunteer canvassers, our staff and our 72 interns is truly a Commonwealth message," Johnson said. "We each may have our own unique problems, but the solutions come from everybody working together."

"Drawing on my experience canvassing this summer, I've been working with other interns at the College of William and Mary in non-partisan canvassing," Addie Alexander, VOP Intern, said. "Last Saturday, for example, we covered a huge area of Williamsburg with 50 students who distributed informational door-hangers. On Election Day, we will be coordinating rides to the polls, helping those who’ve been turned away for lack of proper ID, and doing whatever else we can to ensure that everyone who registered to vote gets to vote!"

The Virginia Organizing Project is also involved in many other civic engagement activities throughout the year, providing leadership training to individuals and groups who want to make their communities better through changes in local and state policies.

"We have helped communities develop programs so that all school facilities are accessible for everyone," said Sandra Cook, VOP vice-chairperson. "We have worked with groups to get more affordable housing and better health care for children. Working for the common good is what we are all about."

"But right now, we are concentrating on getting everyone to cast their ballot on Election Day," Cook said.

CROSS-POST: Community Values Vote Blog on Huffington Post

2008-11-04T10:16:00.004-05:00

Here's the text of a piece I wrote for the Huffington Post this morning about the Community Values Vote blog:

Since community organizers were front-and-center in this election -- sometimes celebrated, sometimes mocked -- why not hear from community organizers as Election Day unfolds? Check out the Community Values Vote blog, www.communitychange.org/vote, with eyewitness Election Day reports from community organizers and grassroots leaders across the country, with spin-free, on-the-ground accounts of turnout trends, voter suppression and moment-to-moment analysis.

After all, the real story of this election isn't the candidates but communities -- a movement of everyday Americans coming together for the common good. Even more so than the candidates and the enthusiasm generated for them, what is heartening about this election is the new level of enthusiasm for America and for democracy. In Washington State, Washington Community Action's phones have been ringing every 20 seconds for the last few days with new volunteers clamoring to help turnout first-time and unlikely voters. In Virginia, a grocery worker and volunteer with the Virginia Organizing Project has been stuffing non-partisan voter guides in every grocery bag and encouraging shoppers to vote. In Iowa, a member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement volunteered to register new immigrant voters at community soccer games.

These are the kinds of stories captured on Community Values Vote, a first-ever grassroots Election Day blog that will report up-to-the-minute, eyewitness accounts at a level of intimacy no media outlet can capture. With grassroots contributors from key electoral states and more, you'll find video reports, photographs and moment-to-moment text message updates directly from the grassroots, from the leaders that know these elections best.

The Community Values Vote blog will show why community organizing has been instrumental in getting us to this moment -- the difference that it makes when everyday people are empowered not just to pull a lever but to really have a voice in the future of our country. Hear about the election first-hand from real people in their communities -- not more of those manufactured, attention-hungry "undecideds" but actual people. Including you. Don't forget to log-on and post your own Election Day analysis, photos and more.

And continue to watch after the election, because for grassroots organizations the real fight begins on November 5th. While the Washington pundits will try to push for a middle-of-the-road, more of the same agenda for the new President, grassroots organizations will be pressing the people's demands for big solutions to the big problems we face. Once the election is over, it is these grassroots organizations that will be the vehicle for the American public to continue to press their vision, together, for change. So keep logging into Community Values Vote to join the discussion after the results are in, hear how community organizers are interpreting the results and add your voice to our shared agenda for the future.

WASHINGTON VOTER STORY: Sandy's Story

2008-11-04T09:52:00.008-05:00

Read this powerful story of a young woman getting out the immigrant vote:

Sixteen year old Sandy is getting out the vote so that other kids won’t have to go through what she did. When her parents were unable to get citizenship and were deported, she witnessed first hand the lack of respect and honesty our government can have when dealing with immigrants. When she learned that she could help empower immigrants and get their voices heard through their votes, she jumped at the chance. She’s spent the weeks leading up to this election going door-to-door in immigrant communities and communities of color. She’s encouraging infrequent voters from these underrepresented communities to cast their ballots and elect representation that respects their values and will deal with them honestly.

Sandy is working with Washington CAN! to turn out the immigrant vote in Seattle’s Eastside suburbs. “Not all people of color are respected, and they aren’t taken in mind because they aren’t like all Americans,” she says. Voting in numbers gets communities noticed, and Sandy is working hard to make sure that every immigrant than can vote does. “Immigrants are excluded, but this is a way to get included.” New immigrant communities and communities of color in cities like Bellevue, Kent and Renton have the opportunity this election to determine the outcome of a number of important races.

Sandy is part of a crew of young immigrants and youth of color for whom getting out the vote is more than just a job. “I want to inform people about immigrants and give respect to them,” she says. “They aren’t included, and they should be. They are important.”

A greater immigrant voice in politics will ensure that the issues confronting young people like Sandy will become more of a priority for elected officials. She’d like to see comprehensive immigration reform that will end the current enforcement-only approach that breaks up families. “I hope it actually makes a difference and stops them tearing people apart.”

So far, it’s making a huge difference. In the last month, Sandy and her crew have knocked on over 7,000 doors, and spoken with thousands of new and infrequent voters from underrepresented communities. The reception from immigrants and people of color who have long felt overlooked has been overwhelmingly positive. People are constantly telling Sandy how glad they are that she’s talking to them about why it’s important to vote. More importantly, the vast majority of people she speaks with agree that this election is their chance to be heard, and they are going to vote.

“People support us. It’s pretty awesome.”

NEW YORK VOTER TURNOUT: Unprecedented Turnout in NYC

2008-11-04T09:03:00.005-05:00

Norman Eng of the New York Immigration Coalition reports from New York City where polling locations are facing an unprecedented turnout of voters!

New Yorkers line up to vote near 86th Street and Broadway

"Polls opened at 6am in New York, and the story seems to be unprecedented huge turnout at polling sites throughout the city. I went to vote just after the polls opened, thinking that the lines would be short at that time, but I was surprised to find a line snaking all the way down the block, around the corner, and down another block. It's never been like that before. We're hearing similar reports from many other poll sites. It's absolutely amazing!"

COLORADO: New Americans Likely to Impact The Election

2008-11-03T20:00:00.001-05:00

Here's a statement from Rights for All People in Colorado about the growing political power of immigrants and their children.

New Americans, immigrants who have recently become citizens, are the fastest growing electorate in America. Strong evidence that suggests they can impact the outcome of the election in swing states such as Colorado. According to a new report by the Immigration Policy Center, New Americans counted for 5.5% of all registered voters in Colorado in 2004, while the margin of victory in the 2004 Presidential race amounted to only 4.3% of registered voters. Not only have there been record-breaking naturalization and voter registration drives in 2008, but immigrants have become more engaged in their local communities regardless of their immigration status. Democracy is for everyone.

Political attacks on immigrants have increased, and the community has responded by becoming active. Rights for All People/Derechos Para Todos (RAPs) has organized efforts to increase civic participation among immigrants. RAP’s role has been to bring the voices of immigrants directly to the policy process regardless of whether someone can vote or not. The organization is working to ensure that community residents are heard, especially about the difficulty immigrants have in achieving citizenship due to the broken U.S. immigration system. RAP has provided citizenship classes to over 90 people from 2007 to 2008. RAP members have played a significant role in advocating for comprehensive immigration reform, and have conducted numerous “Know Your Rights” campaigns to their communities.

RAP believes that immigrant participation in the civic process begins before citizenship. Non-citizen immigrants are likely to become citizens, but begin to develop their political behavior long before the ceremony. There are many immigrants who cannot currently vote, but everyone can have a significant impact on the voting behavior of their citizen friends, family, and co-workers. As a result, RAP has focused developing civic leadership skills among non-citizen immigrants through its unique Friend-to-Friend Program. This program utilizes the untapped base of non-citizen immigrants by organizing them to contact citizens they know and encourage them to vote.

The path for hardworking immigrants to be productive citizens, civic leaders, and respected members of society has already been paved. As New Americans turn out to vote in numbers, their voices will truly be heard.

TENNESSEE: ChangeMemphis GOTV Phonebanking

2008-11-03T19:55:00.005-05:00

Less than 12 hours before polls open, a committed group of youth is hard at work making sure that their community gets out to vote tomorrow!

These youth, part of a Metropolitan Interfaith Association student program, are making hundreds of calls and fielding dozens of requests for polling information, rides to the polls and other assistance.

NEVADA: Progressive Leadership Alliance Invests in Young Volunteers

2008-11-03T18:56:00.006-05:00

Even though Nevada has been considered a bastion of voter and civic apathy, the Progressive Leadership Alliance is getting historically underrepresented communities invested in the promise of social, economic and political change.

“The results have been dramatic,” said Beverly Rodriguez, a PLAN organizer. “We focused on the communities of new citizens, particularly Hispanics, and we’ve turned out thousands of new voters.”

In Las Vegas, PLAN reached more than 3,100 people directly through a door-to-door canvass over the last two weeks. The canvass worked from a universe of more than 5,600 first-time voters, including more than 2,300 new citizens whom PLAN volunteers and staff registered following citizenship ceremonies in Las Vegas.

PLAN’s Meredith McGhan also helped build the high-value universe of new voters by registering hundreds of former felons, overcoming bureaucratic difficulties and contradictory state laws. “Without PLAN, these men and women may never have restored their right to vote,” McGhan said.

In Reno, the Silver State’s other urban center, PLAN worked throughout the year to register minorities, and staged a dramatic march to the polls through the city’s downtown on October 18th, the first day of early voting.

PLAN was just one of many nonprofit groups doing outreach to various communities in Nevada, but PLAN’s effort was built around a core of young activists, especially young women and men of color.

Victor Rascon, 18, is one of the many volunteers who has injected so much energy into PLAN's voter work. Victor is an Army ROTC student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and he has volunteered at events sponsored by PLAN, the Sierra Club, SkyOne and other progressive organizations in Southern Nevada. Victor also joined the ranks of PLAN canvassers working to ensure that communities of color, economically disenfranchised people and other historically underrepresented voting groups get to the polls and vote.

Victor is a talented freehand artist who comes in early to the PLAN office and strums his guitar while waiting to hit the doors or the phones. Victor's family is originally from Chihuaha, Mexico, but they immigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life. But since the economic downturn, his mother has joined the ranks of thousands of people in Las Vegas struggling to find work as the region's unemployment rate approaches 8 percent.

“I’m worried about Mom. I’m sometimes really concerned that she might not have money for rent,” Victor said. Without steady work, the family has had to move a lot, and that means his younger sister, a high school student, doesn’t have a stable school situation – “So that sucks,” Victor says.

But Victor believes in the power of community and people to make a difference. “There are opportunities to make changes. As a community it’s important to get involved, especially the Latino community. If they get out to vote, there will be a change.”

MASSACHUSETTS: The Alliance to Develop Power Gets Out The Vote

2008-11-03T17:59:00.007-05:00

Our friends at the Alliance to Develop Power (ADP) held a massive registration drive and rally last week. The event brought over 500 ADP leaders, community members and allies together as they energized their base of community values voters heading into the election.

Here are some photos from the event:

Over 500 ADP leaders, community members and allies take part in the ADP Community Convention, an event that kicked off the GOTV and mobilization portion of our Voter Engagement Campaign. Many ADP members wore headsets in order to listen to the simultaneous translation occurring during the Convention.

ADP leader Pablo Santos discusses the need for fair and humane immigration reform with Senator John Kerry while ADP leader Jade James gives testimony on health coverage for children.

ADP Youth leaders kickoff this night of civic engagement and voter mobilization with a dance competition that captivates all onlookers.

WISCONSIN TURNOUT: High School Students Getting Out the Vote in SE Wisconsin

2008-11-03T12:20:00.015-05:00

We've got an exciting update from Dave Moore, Communications Coordinator at Voces de la Frontera in Southeastern Wisconsin. They've organized young people to get out the vote in their communities -- it will be the country’s largest election-day initiative by high-school students.

Amid the unprecedented youth involvement in the 2008 election, students in southeast Wisconsin are going one step further. In Milwaukee and Racine over 500 high-school students will be excused from school November 4th to spend election day making certain that city residents get to the polls. The activities will be the culmination of months of determined youth efforts to maximize registrations and turnout.

Dave tells us: "These students - almost all of them too young to vote themselves - will be hitting the streets tomorrow to make certain that city residents get to the polls - delivering literature, offering rides and being very bright, lively, and visual in the process."

"I’m not old enough to vote” says Mario Gomez, junior at Marquette University High School, “but I’m old enough to help someone else in my community vote. That’s really what this is about.

Read more about the exciting work of Voces de la Frontera here:

WASHINGTON TURNOUT: Phones ringing off the hook!

2008-11-03T11:35:00.008-05:00

Our partners in the field are working hard to get out the vote!

Washington CAN! and its partners just registered over 25,000 voters in Washington - many of which are young, low-income, people of color, and women.

Joshua Welter, Lead Organizer for Civic Engagement & Health Care with Washington CAN! says:

"Now when we're calling these new voters to remind them out to vote, our phone is ringing off the hook with folks calling us back. For several hours this weekend, we couldn't count to 20 seconds before our phone rang (seriously, we tried!).

Our phone was still ringing with folks calling us back as late as 10:30 pm on Saturday night. That's when we looked up the polling location of Irma Lopez, a 28 year-old first time voter.

They see our number on their caller ID and wonder why we're calling them so much. We tell them we're getting out the vote. We look up their polling location if they need it. 97.1% commit to vote or tell us they've already voted.

These new voters are under the radar of pollsters and political pundits. Many have given us their cell phones when they registered. Most political polls don't include cell phone users in their poll data.

If our rate of phone ringing is any judge, there will be a groundswell of voter participation from the grassroots. Watch out!"

WASHINGTON: Powerful health care story in Washington GOTV phone call

2008-11-03T10:50:00.003-05:00

Check out this GOTV phone message from Washington CAN!:

http://www.communitychange.org/library/WACANFinal.wav/view

The message will be delivered today to over 17,000 voters in Washington state who have yet to cast their ballots as part of Washington CAN Education and Research Fund's Get Out The Vote Campaign.

In the phone message, Washington CAN! member, Trish Divine Wilder, from Walla Walla, shares the emotional story of losing her nephew because he was uninsured. Tearing up during the call, she urges Washingtonians to vote on Tuesday to elect leaders who will work to guarantee quality, affordable health care for everyone.

Trish first shared her story publicly on December 1st, 2007 at the Heartland Presidential Forum in Iowa when she asked then presidential candidate Hillary Clinton about her health care plan.

WASHINGTON TURNOUT: My Experience with Early Voting in Renton, Washington

2008-11-03T10:45:00.010-05:00

We have an update on early voting in Washington from Naomi Ishisaka, Communications Director of OneAmerica. If the lines are already this long in Washington, imagine how long they'll be on Election Day.

“I am a regular poll voter because I enjoy the process of voting and have never had any trouble voting at the polls in the past, however since I would be working all day on Election Day, I wanted to vote early to make sure I was not unable to vote. I first tried to vote early on Friday at around 4:30 pm but when I arrived I was told the wait would be one and a half hours. I was advised to come back the next day before the center opened at 9 a.m.

I was frustrated about this so I called the King County Elections Department to complain. They were closed. I listened to the automated message that said it had all the information about the upcoming election, but amazingly, the message had not been updated since August. The automated line says, “The next scheduled election is the primary election on Tues. August 19.” It is incredible the line has not been updated for information about Nov. 4.

When I came back the next day, the line was twice as long as it was the night before. I was told people had been waiting outside since 7:30 a.m. to vote. I talked to a poll worker who said it would likely be several hours of waiting. I left and then came back around noon when I had more time to wait. By the time I got there at around noon, the line was stretched around the building and the wait time was three hours. I waited – along with a huge group of people who were disproportionately young and non-white – for the three hours for my chance to vote. After several lines and much patience, I finally got my chance to use the Diebold voting machine and cast my ballot. While I was there, several people I know called the Elections Department to express their desire for the polling places to extend their hours and open on Sunday and were met with an astounding array of responses, including, “Well, people spend hours waiting in line for Disneyland or a movie, so that’s their choice,” or to me, “Well you should just get a book, relax and enjoy it.” Most of the people who were there to vote came because they were afraid that by Tuesday, the lines would be so long at their polling places they would not be able to get off enough time from work to vote. The local media here has been incredibly credulous about all this, quoting the Elections Department spokeswoman as saying that ‘people are happy to wait and would be happy to wait even longer’ without talking to any voters for their opinion.”

We will send additional posts regarding general GOTV information for the blog later today.

Voters waiting in line around noon on Saturday at the King County Elections Center in Renton.

Sympathetic passersby bring donuts for waiting voters at the King County Elections Center on Saturday.

Once inside the Elections Center the wait was an additional two hours long.

There are only six voting machines in the Elections Center."

TENNESSEE TURNOUT: ChangeMemphis contributes to record turnout

2008-11-01T16:17:00.013-04:00

We have a report and some photos from Jacob Flowers, Director of the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center about voter turnout in Tennesee. These voters are turning out in record numbers!

"All reports in from early voting in Memphis point to a record turnout in our communities. Since October 15, almost 40% of registered voters have cast their ballot during early voting. If trends continue we are set for a record turnout of 74-78% here, smashing the last presidential election turnout of 57%. What is even more impressive is that 46% of black voters have already cast their ballot, meaning that by the end of the day on Nov. 4, 90% of the black community may have voted.

But why? There are no hotly contested local races, in fact most candidates find themselves running unopposed. The national campaigns have written off Tennessee and neither major party candidate has graced our city to energize their bases.

Maybe it is because for the first time in a long time Memphians have answered their door to find a nonpartisan and grassroots effort wanting nothing more from them than a chance to increase their participation in our community. Maybe it is another sign that the Memphis community realizes that we are all in this together as we struggle to deal with the day to day effects of being too high on too many of the wrong lists in our country. One thing is for sure, that while national politics are tied up in a race to decide who will change Washington, our communities have not forgotten that meaningful and sustained change is needed here, on the local level. We demand it and we aren't stopping at the ballot box."

FLORIDA TURNOUT: "Take Back the Vote" Mobilizes Florida Voters: Video by Miami Workers Center

2008-10-31T15:25:00.007-04:00

Check out this cool video by the "Take Back the Vote" campaign of the Miami Workers Center. Not only is this campaign mobilizing immigrants and communities of color to vote but they are also engaging these folks in a larger struggle for social and economic justice.

FLORIDA TURNOUT: Early Voting in Florida: Video By Miami Grassroots Groups

2008-10-30T16:50:00.008-04:00

Check out this video produced by the Miami Herald documenting an early voting rally organized by the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Miami Workers Center, among other groups.

And here's an op-ed from the Miami Herald by Maria Rodriguez from the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Gihan Perera from Miami Workers Center.

Alliance Says It’s Registered Half-million Immigrant Voters

2008-10-30T15:46:00.005-04:00

Yay! 500,000 new immigrant voters just in time for the presidential election! Let's just hope that their votes will be protected.

By Juan Castillo

Austin American-Statesman

October 20, 2008

Voter mobilization groups from across the country said Monday they had attained their collective goal to register 500,000 new immigrant voters in time for the presidential election and would shift their efforts to turning out 1 million immigrant voters in battleground states.

“We’re reaching the next phase of this amazing journey we began in 2006 together,” said Rudy Lopez, deputy director for politics with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Change. The center is one of the 14 partners in the We Are America Alliance, which sprang from the 2006 nationwide protests in support of comprehensive immigration reform. An estimated 4 million people took to the streets in demonstrations across the country.

The alliance says it is spending $10 million in its coordinated registration and voter mobilization effort, which it describes as unprecedented in Latino, Asian and immigrant communities.

Read the rest of the story here.

Voting Rights Watch In The South

2008-10-30T11:03:00.003-04:00

The Institute for Southern Studies has been doing some great work documenting voter suppression in the south. Check these articles out.

LONG WAITS CONTINUE TO MAR EARLY VOTING - The failure of states to prepare for massive turnout on Election Day will lead to enormously long lines and long waits that will discourage voters before and on November 4th.
FLORIDA NO-MATCH LISTS GROWS TO 12,165 VOTERS - The St. Petersburg Times reports that over 12,000 voters are on Florida's "no match" List - meaning their identities have not been verified and their votes could be uncounted on Election Day

Stay Tuned...

2008-10-28T13:00:00.001-04:00

Too often, elections are reported by gray-haired pundits behind television news desks. This election is different. Over the last year, we've seen unprecedented people power behind this election --- the culmination of years of grassroots organizing combined with new energy and new voters. So this November 4th, we'll be reporting on the election from their perspective, from the grassroots up.

The Campaign for Community Values is a national coalition of more than two hundred grassroots organizations from across the United States advancing policies to make America work for all of us. In key states and regions across the country, grassroots organizations have knocked on doors, organized marches, hosted candidate forums. As the talking heads pontificated about community organizing, we were practicing it --- and we'll see the results of bottom-up democracy on Election Day as real people voice their community values at the ballot box.

Come here on November 4th to watch the election unfold from the grassroots, to hear real stories about first-time voters or volunteers, why they're voting and what they want from the next President. And track first-hand accounts of voter suppression with live, one-of-a-kind video and podcast reporters from community organizers on the ground in key states and districts. And we'll post your reports and video, too!

This election will be different. And this election coverage will be different, too. See you on November 4th!

Update: Read a post I wrote about the Community Values Vote blog for the Huffington Post!