Newsletter

Nov 7th, 2007

Dear Friends and Volunteers

It’s been a while since I contacted you so, first, I want to greet you personally. Hello! Then I want to tell you about several actions you can take to protect upcoming elections.

I want to offer you a way to obtain informative books and DVDs about election justice, to suggest holding a house party to show one of the DVDs soon (it is now just a year from the 2008 election), and to inform you that we need to become a formal organization with a recognizable structure so we can take legal action to enforce CA election code requirements.

Protect Upcoming Elections: On the back of this letter is a list of possible actions you can take, especially for the February and June elections. You can practice observing the closing of the polls in the local November elections (if there’s one near you.) We can give you a checklist for monitoring if you request it. And invite anyone you know who has time to observe the many phases of the election listed here.

Obtain Books and DVDs about Election Justice: In October, Protect California Ballots, in coalition with Election Defense Alliance, participated in the “National Latino Congreso” and the “California NAACP Annual Conference.” Enclosed is list of the books and DVDs that we sold. To help promote distribution of this valuable hard-hitting information, we’re happy to send you any of this material for your donation of $16.00 including postage. Make your check out to IHCenter/Protect California Ballots. Any of these DVDs are excellent for sponsoring a House Party:

Hacking Democracy (Emmy nominated, shown on HBO)
Commander ‘N Thief
Stealing America Vote by Vote
American Blackout

Try to hold a house party, or arrange to show any of the above at a meeting of other groups to which you belong. Use the event as an opportunity to raise funds for that group. You can help your friends and associates realize the seriousness of the vulnerabilities of our elections and help you/us take action to prevent another stolen election.

Enforce the Election Code: Protect California Ballots organizes and works with a team of computer experts who observe the election machinery and examine the source code used in an election. Their access is mandated by CA law. Until now county officials have restricted what these observers can examine. Under a newly expanded version of California election law, any “bona fide” organization can appoint two observers. “Protect California Ballots” is taking steps to become a “bona fide” organization. We need your help; please register with us as a volunteer member in the organization. Send an email to info@protectcaliforniaballots.org that says, “I am a volunteer with Protect California Ballots.” Include your name, address, and phone numbers (home and cell.) I will send another letter next month about our progress on this project.

In the meantime, please send me an email at info@protectcaliforniaballots.org (especially if you have a new email address) with any questions or to order any of the books or DVDs. You can also FAX me a letter or call me at (310) 559 8933 and leave a message with your order, or about giving a talk, or to answer questions.

I am grateful for your past and present interest and for any level of participation with which you are comfortable. Above all else, I urge everyone to VOTE, and to encourage others to vote, no matter what their attitude is about the accuracy and reliability of the official vote totals.

Sincerely,

Judy Alter
Director of Protect California Ballots