Democracy for New Mexico

UPDATE: ABQ Recount Training

From Sonja Elison via Nancy Galloway:

Below are the latest training times and places for recount observer and computer volunteeers in Albuquerque.  The computer training is intended for people with previous computer experience beyond just being a computer user, and they are needed badly.

Computer training will take place Tuesday, December 14  at 4:00 PM (probably will last an hour or hour and a half) at Little Anita's which is at 2105 Mountain Road NW at the corner of Rio Grande.

Another observer training session will take place at Page One bookstore, at the SW corner or Juan Tabo and Montgomery on Wednesday night, December 15, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. --selison22@comcast.net

More on NM Recount - How You Can Help: Training Monday, Recount Starts Tuesday

From Andrea and David:

Dear Friends,

There is going to be a recount in NM conducted by Help America Recount, a national non-partisan organization that was formed to ensure fair elections. This organization is also heading up the recount in Ohio which will begin on Monday. They are hoping that the recount in NM will begin on Tuesday.

The NM recount will have no effect on the outcome of the Presidential election. However, it is being held here to serve as an election "lab" because there are so many different types of voting machines, as well as paper ballots, that are used in the state. The information that can be compiled from the recount here will be studied and incorporated into the strategies for future elections.

Help America Recount held a recount training session yesterday (Saturday) for Bernalillo County at the Palo Duro Senior Center in Abq. Lowell Finley, the organization's election attorney from Berkeley, CA was asked about disqualified ballots. He said that in a recount any ballot that had been disqualified during the count could be disputed. This would include disqualified provisional ballots.

This recount is very important.

The recount in Bernalillo County is going to take the most time of all the counties. The recount in most of the other counties will be finished very quickly and some of the volunteers from those counties will be coming to help here. Until they arrive, we are going to need a lot of volunteers here especially in the first few days of the recount (beginning Tuesday of this week).

Please help and encourage family members and friends to also help.

There is going to be another recount training on Monday night. The recount observing and responsibilites are different from the original count observing so it's important to take the recount training. Call Steve Lucero, the Bernalillo County coordinator, for the time and location of that meeting: 710-8946.

If you aren't able to participate, please give a contribution. $114,000 has already been deposited with the state but the cost is going to be much higher.

You can get more information and make a contribution about Help America Recount at: https://helpamericarecount.org/

Thanks for your support on such short notice.

Update on Albuquerque Recount Observer Training - THIS SATURDAY

From Sonja Elison:

The New Mexico Recount should get underway next week.  By law, it can start no longer than Tuesday.  We think it will be at the warehouse on Broadway--South of Central.  However, the county clerk's office hasn't let us know for sure yet.  Stay posted, we'll get the information out as soon as we get it!

If you signed up on Moveon to help observe, please come to this training session:

This Saturday Dec. 11, 1:00 PM to 2:45 PM at the corner of Commance and San Mateo at the Palo Duro Senior Center. 

The number there is 888-8102  Volunteers are trying to call everyone who volunteered on the website to schedule times you can work.  If you'd like to schedule a particular time, you can also email selison22@comcast.net.  For more information you can call Steve Lucero  710-8946 or Sonja Elison at 271-0271 or Holly Jacobsen at 206 769 7185.

Training Tomorrow for NM Recount Volunteers

From Leland Lehrman: The recount is happening !!!

Help America Recount Fund, working with the Audit the Vote Network on behalf of the David Cobb Presidential Campaign and the Michael Badnarik Presidential Campaign are going to court Friday AM to get the recount started -- if we don't get agreement from the Secretary of State to officially begin the recount on her own. State statute requires that she start it by next Tuesday.

We anticipate starting sometime next week. We're not sure of the day, so we're planning as if it will start on Monday.

The Santa Fe (and northern New Mexico) training for observers is tomorrow, Saturday, at 10AM at the Sweeney Center - Downtown Santa Fe. Sorry for the lateness of this message. Call phone numbers below to get current status.

Directions: The Sweeney Center is located at the corner of Grant and Marcy. coming into SF ... on St. Francis Drive ..... go east on Alameda, left on Sandoval, Sandoval turns to the right and becomes Palace, left on Grant one block, right on Marcy and into the parking lot.

The training will be over by 11:00 AM. We will provide coffee, juice, and maybe some goodies.

The Albuquerque training is Saturday at 1PM at the Palodoro Senior Center, on Palodoro Drive, behind the library on Commanche near San Mateo. This training will be over by 2PM.

Download and print the Recount Volunteer Form indicating the days you are available and other resources you can provide.

Any questions give Rick Lass (920-0540), Mitch Buszek, (204-0833) or Leland Lehrman (982-3609) a call.

We really need folks that can travel to far away interesting places ... like Farmington, Las Cruces, Tucumcari, Wagon Mound, Truth or Consequences ... so if you can travel ... let us know ...

The incident reports and data that we have collected are going to make this VERY interesting !!!!!

For those who can't make it on Saturday, we will have another training early next week.

Look forward to working with you, Mitch - Rick - Leland

Demand Bi-Partisan Investigation into 2004 Election

Progressive Democrats of America makes it easy for folks to demand a bi-partisan investigation into the 2004 Election . The Chairman of the House Administration Committee, Bob Ney (R-OH), stated publicly that he’ll hold bi-partisan hearings on the 2004 Election early next year. We need to tell the Committee to hold those hearings NOW, BEFORE the vote is certified in January.

Click here to ask members of House Administration Committee to call an immediate hearing.

PDA also urges folks to pressure Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell to answer the questions raised by Rep. John Conyers and others about the irregularities in Ohio:

General Telephone Number (Toll Free): 1-877-767- 6446

General Telephone Number (Local): 1-614- 466-2655

Action Alert: Contact Members of House Judiciary Committe on Vote Fraud

From Sonja Elison of NM Democratic Friends:

On Wednesday, The Alliance for Democracy will present evidence to a "forum" of the Judiciary Committee, held by John Conyers of Michigan. They will present evidence that the Republicans stole the Ohio election. The Judiciary Committee refuses to hold hearings. Only the Chair -- Orin Hatch -- can schedule formal hearings.

We need to find out about this -- and call members of the Judiciary Committee and make our feelings HEARD! Even if they prove that Kerry won the election there will be more work to be done to get these *bleeps* to admit it and give back the presidency.

You can go to the TheAllianceForDemocracy.org/ or GregPalast.com to get more information. We need to absolutely blitz the Congress with calls, emails, and even letters. Go to Firstgov.gov, click on Federal Legislative and then on House of Representatives, then Committees to get the list of members of the House Judiciary Committee (or click here for a direct link). It might be a good idea to write down and share the telephone numbers with your friends, so we can all call them with the least amount of work (looking up phone numbers).

Editor's Note: Another excellent site with tools that make it easy to contact members of Congress, local and state government officials, local and national media and more is Congress.org, powered by powerful CapWiz software. It also has extensive information on legislation and issues. Check it out.

Protest "Something Fishy" at ABQ Federal Courthouse on Wednesday

From Tina D.

The ad hoc group that's been holding demonstrations in downtown Albuquerque for the last few weeks is having one last go at it on Wednesday, in front of the Federal Courthouse at 3rd and Lomas from 4 to 6 PM.

The local news has come at 4 and so there's only been a few people, which makes for a skimpy lookin' crowd.  At 5 we covered the block, so this time, we're asking everyone to be there at 4 and we're telling the newsies to come at 5. 

The "issue" is voting reform in New Mexico.  The "theme" is "Something's Fishy" which is good to know if you're one of those creative types who can make eye-catching signs that draw motorists into the text.

The NM recount begins the next day, or so I'm told, so we're hoping the press will consider the demonstration a good lead-in story.  Basically, we're trying to raise awareness of what's going on in Ohio, Florida and NM, and so the local news bite's important.

You're Invited

From Friends of Eric Griego:

Please join us in kicking off

Click through to the continuation for a list of host committee members.

HOST COMMITTEE:

Councilor Martin Heinrich Councilor Debbie O'Malley Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino Commissioner Deanna       Archuleta-Loeser Senator Cisco McSorley Boardmember Paula Maes Patricia Montoya Tony and Lori Monfiletto Dr. Miles Nelson Norty Kalishman Jennifer Conn Zoe Economou Laura Harris Arturo Sandoval Bob and Paulin MacPharson Antonio Maestas Tom Brennan Orlando and Lydia Vigil Bill O'Neill Ellen Grigsby Gabriella Duran Herman Baca

Dr. Luis Padilla Barbara Garrity Dr. Lawrence Berger Paula and Louisa Hood Regina Gonzales Brian Egolf Kelly Shannon Mike Puelle Mo Chavez Thomas and Patty       James Jaramillo Robert Vigil Wendy Forbes Giovanna Rosi Linda Siegel Steve Archibeque Rich Williams Drew Setter Marianne Dickinson Jim and Jean Genasei Michael and Dina Giddings Dr. Steve Pilon

Nationwide Vote Problems

It can be difficult to keep track of all the voting irregularities and possible fraud being uncovered across the nation, but the Boston Globe has created a map that makes things easier. It's accompanied by an indepth analysis of what has been discovered so far. Worth a read.

NM Recount Sought by Green, Libertarian Candidates - Can You Help?

According to an article in today's Albuquerque Journal, Green Party nominee David Cobb and Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik have requested a statewide presidential race recount in New Mexico of paper ballots in all precincts, as well as a reexamination of voting machines to check for potential problems. The recount will not include provisional ballots, according to Denise Lamb of the Election Bureau. Moreover, it's unlikely the recount will be finished before the December 13th meeting of NM's presidential electors to cast the state's five electoral votes.

According to the Journal, New Mexico's official election returns certified by the state canvassing board show Bush with 376,930 votes (49.8%), Kerry with 370,942 votes (49%), Badnarik with 2,382 votes (0.3%) and Cobb with 1,226 votes (0.2%) .

MoveOn PAC has sent out an email requesting help with the recount:

"The recount will proceed separately in each of New Mexico's 33 counties, and in order to ensure the counting is fair, the Cobb campaign plans to have volunteers supervise the counting. That will require several volunteers in each county all day for a number of days, and the campaign has asked MoveOn PAC for help.

"Can you offer a couple hours, a full day, or even several days to help protect democracy in New Mexico and make sure the final count is fair and accurate? If so, click here to get involved.

"The recount process will be determined by the Secretary of State as well as county officials. They have yet to announce when it will start, what the process will be, whether it will run only during business hours or over the weekend, etc.

"So, the campaign is signing up a volunteer corps now to be prepared to leap into action the moment the recount details are revealed. They will provide training to volunteers, but it's not that difficult: you'll just watch as officials count the ballots to make sure nothing looks fishy.

"We'll pass your name and contact information to the Cobb campaign if you sign up, so they can give you more information on what to do next. Technically, you will act as an official representative of the Cobb-LaMarche Green Party campaign when you observe the counting."