January 6, 2005: Take Action on Election Violations as
Congress Meets to Certify the Vote!
More than a month has passed since voters cast votes for
the President and Vice-President of the United States -- but
every day, more and more stories surface that call into
question the election's integrity. Machines broke down,
counted backwards, eliminated votes, and registered votes
for the wrong candidate. Democratic and African-American
neighborhoods experienced by far the longest lines on
election day, the most vote spoilage, the most elimination
of provisional ballots, and the most victimization by
precinct manipulation. Four hundred thousand callers phoned
voter protection hotlines, with complaints ranging from
absentee ballots lost in the mail, to outright voter
intimidation and disenfranchisement. And partisan election
officials with conflicts of interest undermined voting
rights in states from Ohio to Florida to New Mexico. Even
progressive Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have
questioned the elections' legitimacy, in a series of
rigorous, painstakingly detailed letters documenting the
unprecedented extent and scope of vote suppression,
available at http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/.
How can we have confidence in American democracy when so
many questions about this election remain unanswered? In
addition to the longstanding issues subtly undermining
democracy -- corporate domination of the two major parties,
plurality elections, and corporate media bias - the recent
election betrayed democratic principles overtly.
Despite the efforts of a few valiant members of Congress,
most of our Senators and Representatives have ignored our
pleas for serious investigation into the "irregularities"
that surrounded the 2004 election. But one more opportunity
remains for these government officials to stand for
democracy.
URGE PROGRESSIVE SENATORS TO TAKE A STAND ON JAN. 6, WHEN
CONGRESS MEETS TO CERTIFY THE VOTE
On January 6, 2005, Congress will meet in joint session to
certify the 2004 presidential election. On that day, if one
member of the House and one member of the Senate object to
the certification of the vote, then all members of Congress
will finally discuss these issues. On January 6, 2001, not a
single Senator would join with the Representatives who
demanded an inquiry into the Florida recount. This year, let's
make our Senators take a stand!
The following seven Senators are some of the most
progressive members of the Senate. Please call them
immediately, and urge them to defend democracy on January 6.
*SPREAD THE WORD TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW TO KEEP DOING THE SAME
UNTIL JANUARY 6.*
Senator Barbara Boxer, (202) 224-3553,
senator@boxer.senate.gov
Senator Dick Durbin, (202) 224-2152, dick@durbin.senate.gov
Senator Russ Feingold, (202) 224-5323,
russ_feingold@feingold.senate.gov
Senator Tom Harkin, (202) 224-3254,
tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov
Senator Jim Jeffords, (202) 224-5141,
Vermont@jeffords.senate.gov
Senator Edward Kennedy, 202/224-4543,
senator@kennedy.senate.gov
Senator Patrick Leahy, (202) 224-4242,
senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
ON JANUARY 6, PROTEST IN WASHINGTON, DC AND AT SENATORS'
OFFICES IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITIES
While our Senators and Representatives are inside Congress,
tallying the electoral college vote, We the People must have
a presence outside, bringing attention to the
disenfranchisement, suppression and fraud that pervaded the
2004 election - and demanding real reforms to extend and
protect democracy in America. Please join us on January 6 in
Washington, DC. Details on the DC protest TBA.
This call to action is initiated by No Stolen Elections and
United Progressives for Democracy.
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