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.
Showing posts with label voter stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label voter stories. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
NEW MEXICO: Organizer Helps First-Time Voter To The Polls!
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):
And here Flores is helping out this first-time voter (in Spanish):
FLORIDA VOTER STORY: Direct Action Gets The Vote
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:
VIRGINIA: Organizing Prevents Voter Suppression
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.
“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.
MAINE VOTER STORY: Organizing Makes Voting Possible
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!
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!
CALIFORNIA VOTER STORY: After 28 Years In US, Voting For 1st Time
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.”
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.”
NEW JERSEY VOTER STORY: Voting For Those Who Can't
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
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR) will make sure that immigrants will be heard on Election Day! Some very powerful speakers here:
VIRGINIA: AYUDA Reports From the Ground
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
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.
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.
MASSACHUSETTS VOTER STORY: Voter Travels 3 Miles In His Wheelchair To Vote!
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."
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."
WASHINGTON VOTER STORY: Evelyn's Story (She's 94 Years Old!)
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.
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.
VIRGINIA VOTER STORY: Voters Have Fun On-line Waiting To Vote
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!
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!
FLORIDA VOTER TURNOUT: Updates from the Miami Workers Center
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. "
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
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.
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.
WASHINGTON VOTER STORY: Sandy's Story
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.”
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.”
Monday, November 3, 2008
WASHINGTON TURNOUT: My Experience with Early Voting in Renton, Washington
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."
“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."
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