[Davis Democrats] FW: MMOB Bulletin - Send an SOS to Your Secretary of State by February 2

[John Chendo]

----------
From: Nancy Patterson <nanoosky at usol.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 16:34:41 -0800
To: Nancy <nanoosky at usol.com>
Subject: FW: MMOB Bulletin - Send an SOS to Your Secretary of State by
February 2



Subject: Fwd: MMOB Bulletin - Send an SOS to Your Secretary of State by
February 2

Another important "to-do" for us all!
>
> SEND AN SOS TO YOUR SECRETARY OF STATE BY FEB 2!
> STOP PARTISANSHIP AMONG ELECTION OFFICIALS
>
> What do free drawings have to teach us about free elections?
>
> If you have ever entered a drawing at the grocery store for an
> all-expenses-paid vacation, you have seen a long list of people who
> are disqualified from entering: Anybody who works there or who is
> related to anybody who works there.
>
> The message: If you work for us, you and your family cannot enter -
> that means you cannot participate in the drawing.
>
> The reason: Fairness, plain and simple.
>
> How is it, then, that J. Kenneth Blackwell can serve as both the top
> elections official for all the citizens in the state of Ohio as well
> as the co-chair for the Bush-Cheney re-election committee? What makes
> Blackwell think he can boast of having "delivered" Ohio to Bush in a
> fundraising letter?
> (http://rawstory.rawprint.com/105/blackwell_campaign_letter_105.php)
> Why was Katherine Harris allowed to serve the same dual role in
> Florida in 2000? In short, why is the standard for grocery store
> drawings higher than it is for elections?
>
> The answer: No good reason that we can think of.
>
> Sure, it's a bummer that employees cannot enter the drawings for all
> that fun stuff. It may be an even bigger bummer that election
> officials must be barred from serving on campaign committees.
>
> But it is a small price to pay for democracy.
>
> It's time to put an end to partisanship among election officials. In
> this alert, you will find urgent contact information for your
> secretary of state, your congressperson, and regional newspapers.
>
> I. CONTACT YOUR SECRETARY OF STATE
>
> The National Association of Secretaries of State will convene in
> Washington, D.C. on February 4. A hot topic will be whether top
> election officials should be allowed to participate in campaigns whose
> results they certify.
>
> To this question, we say DUH.
>
> Your secretary of state needs to hear from you! Go to
> http://www.nass.org/sos/2004roster.html for contact information and
> http://www.themmob.com/SOS.html for a sample letter.
>
> Write a letter NOW. We recommend sending it by fax and snail mail. To
> make sure your voice is really heard, follow-up with a phone call on
> February 2 or 3. Tell them about your participation in the last
> election and your belief that such participation is the province of
> the voter, not the one who counts the votes.
>
> II. SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
>
> One of the best ways to spread the word and amplify your message is to
> trim your letter to the Secretary of State down to the newspapers
> limit (usually 150 to 250 words - check the paper's specific
> requirements, though) and send it to your local newspaper.
>
> You must include your full name, street address, and phone number (for
> verification purposes only). Email is fine here, but not recommended
> for elected officials. The MMOB web site has a letters-to-editors
> resource guide at http://themmob.com/letterseditors.html. Find the
> addresses of most newspapers at http://dailyearth.com.
>
> III. CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR
>
> Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) plans to introduce the Federal
> Election Integrity Act (FEIA) of 2005. FEIA would prohibit Secretaries
> of State and other state election officials with supervisory authority
> over federal elections from participating in or managing the campaign
> of a candidate for federal office.
>
> "Those officials in charge of certifying elections in the State must
> not be allowed to serve two masters. The will of the voters must come
> before the personal politics of those who oversee elections," said
> Lautenberg.
>
> Urge your senator and representatives to co-sponsor this legislation
> and give it full support. Street addresses for snail mail letters can
> be found at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov. When the legislation
> nears a vote (we'll keep you posted), call the Capitol TOLL FREE at 1
> (800) 839-5276.
>
> A fact sheet on Senator Lautenberg's legislation is below and more
> information is at
> http://lautenberg.senate.gov/~lautenberg/press/2003/01/
> 2005106933.html.
>
> FEDERAL ELECTION INTEGRITY ACT OF 2005
>
> Senator Lautenberg's Federal Election Integrity Act (FEIA) of 2005
> would prohibit Secretaries of State and other state election officials
> with supervisory authority over the administration of Federal
> elections from participating in the political campaign or management
> of a candidate running for Federal office in their state. The FEIA
> creates a direct prohibition on State election officials from taking
> part in political campaigns by amending the Federal Campaign Act of
> 1971.
>
> This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. Rather, this is an issue
> that concerns the preservation of the American people's faith and
> confidence in the election process. Simply put, an election official
> responsible for ensuring fair and accurate federal elections should
> not be connected with any of the candidates in that election.
>
> Conflict of Interest
>
> There is an inherent conflict of interest when an election official
> charged with supervising the administration of an election, and
> ensuring the fairness and accuracy of the results has a direct role in
> the campaign of one of the candidates running for Federal office.
>
> In the 2004 Presidential election, Ohio Secretary of State Ken
> Blackwell was co-chairman of Bush/Cheney '04 in Ohio. On December 6th,
> 2004, Blackwell certified President Bush as the winner in Ohio.
>
> This is the second presidential election that presented such a
> conflict of interest in a critical state. In the 2000 election,
> Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris served as co-chair of
> President Bush's Florida campaign. President Bush's narrow victory in
> Florida gave President Bush the state's 25 electoral votes necessary
> to win the presidency.
>
> Authority
>
> Congress has the right to set the rules for fair Federal elections.
> Thus, Senator Lautenberg's bill does not affect state elections, but
> only elections for Federal offices, such as President, Vice President,
> U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative.
>
> -------------------
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>
>