WELCOME TO VOTERS HELL...
I live in Cuyahoga County in Ohio...It was covered on MSNBC last week and CNN. There are Problems. Plenty of Problems.Like Dead People that Voted. And
( If you want to learn more about Our Problems,go above and click the Title go to WEWS, Channel 5 Website, learn about DEAD VOTERS....yeah, Dead...) Also go to FUZZY & BLUE over on the Blogroll, Tina is also tracking Ohio Voting Woes.
I have not been sent a Voters Card. I have not been sent an absentee Ballot.
Even as an Absentee, you don't get to keep a copy or receipt of your Vote.
What and How I vote is a Big Mystery...I easily may end up on my knees praying that my Vote does get counted...this time.
And sadly I Know I am not the Only One...
I am going to take cameras and Mr6-6 to help document our First Vote in Ohio.
Through an Exhaustive Investigation involving West Coast Senators and the ACLU I do know that my Vote in 2000 was NOT counted at all, and I am not sure about 2004, it is still missing as far as I know. So I will be honest- I am pissed.
I want my Fucking Vote back. I want my Fucking Country Back.
"IT IS DANGEROUS TO BE RIGHT WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS WRONG"
Voltaire
HEAD OVER TO TRUTHOUT AND READ THE VOTER RIGHTS SECTION, EXCELLENT MATERIALS AND INFORMATION.
***If you know sites tracking Voter Problems let me know and I will post- thanks.***
23 comments:
Good idea on documenting the vote; let me nose around a little online and see if I can't find someone in your area coordinating efforts.
You have no IDEA how fucking angry the thought that someone in AMERICA can't vote, and have it counted. This is sheer madness.
welcome to the new america
http://sapphomanifesto.blogspot.com/
There is something almost holy, certainly sacred, about voting in a democracy. Seems to me if you're a non-felon citizen, registering & voting should be a simple, painless procedure ... ERRKK ... did I not live through the past 6 years?
Enigma, the extent to which you're fighting for your voting rights would very much please our nation's founders. I think they have to let you fill out a provisional ballot at your precinct, right? It's what happens to it & all our diebold votes after that will determine the status of our ersatz-democracy. ~~ D.K.
DK: Yes, It is WRONG....because OUR VOTES are indeed Sacred.( In the Next Few Days I am going to conitnue Blogging on this....believe me). I too believe that.And yes, I have voted in EVERY election since I was 18, neer missed one. And I am Not a Felon. ( Or dead that I know of).
My Vote from Washington State was nonexistant for 2000- I cast a Provisional at the time, because after waiting in line for hours I was not on the Precinct register. By 5pm on that day in 2000, there were many in line with me that suffered the same issue. We all voted. In 2004 I was living in California and due to Whistleblower status , asked for a ballot that would not place my name publicly on the Prescinct lists, Whether it be an absentee or Provisional ( depends on State). I basically was issued a A Special Absentee Ballot that was held in a lock box and mailed seperately from Publicly listed Absentee Ballots . I had already contacted Diane Feinstein's office and ACLU ( I am an ACLU member) and asked how to Vote without having name publicly listed, but in the process of that found that I was one of many whose Vote had never been counted in 2000. ( There were over 10,000 listed in the Voting Irregularity Complaint as of Fall 2004).I basically for Some Unknown Reason have become either Dead to it or Invisible, but not counted. I also filed a complaint with the Kerry/Edwards Office, and was also contacted by an attorney that at the time was working with Kennedy's Office and the Kerry Compaign.
So in California I did Vote in 2004 with a Special Absentee Ballot. But as you can see in what I wrote above and also what I wrote in my post, I am literally in a Battle for my Vote. It is not so simple. And I am not alone.
I don't watch a lot of TV, but wanted to see the talking heads yesterday (i'm in Indiana) and saw my 1st anti-democrat ad from here.
Although I know it's mighty red, when we had our coffeehouse, for the 1st time while residing here (at the time it was 5 yrs) we actually met like minded people through the shop.
But that's another story.
Gotta make it happen tomorrow and in 2 yrs and make it stick this time.
Let's hope they get GW, I mean, after going after Clinton for Sex, Bush should be good for a whole lot more looking into.....
Cheers from a neighbor of sorts!
Coffee Messiah: Thank you so much for coming over...
We do have to make IT happen...and I think people are motivated, more than ever....Anger and Disgust ...and Disgrace..are strong Motivators
But we also THIS time have to be committed to Seeing it through, making sure that the Votes are counted this time.
ALL of them. And also that if we need to Wait- think Ukraine- then we need to do that...
Man, your state must be really fucked. I keep hearing "As goes Ohio, so goes the nation" and it sure makes me think, "Boy, are we in trouble."
I don't think anyone gets a receipt showing how they voted. They used to line up the drunks to vote for a candidate promising a drink when they voted for him. Then they closed all bars on election day and stopped issuing any proof of voting. I could be wrong. Dunno. They sure have a strange voting program going out there.
peacechick, right you are, no receipt, unless you count that little "I Voted" sticker which I always promptly stick on my butt. I guess making a cc of your absentee or mail-in vote shows HOW you voted. But nothing will show exactly how YOUR vote was counted. aaaah, thanks diebold.
In Europe (and even, gasp, South America) they keep the polls open for days & most workers don't get docked for taking a half day off to vote. And yet we are satisfied with a 50% turnout.
Enigma, we knew you were Special (absentee or otherwise). What you're going through sucks. I just hope after Tuesday, we as a country will feel what you & many others like you have gone through was worth it. ~~ D.K.
HUGS!! you will be in my thoughts tomorrow!!
and one more thing - according to all my astrology sources...this week is all about change - for the better!!
we will see
enigma could never be absentee, invisible or anything other than a very important vote as i see it.
I'm sure you'll appreciate my predicament. I CAN'T go the polls. I DON'T FREAKIN' HAVE ONE!
I have to vote absentee because the megachurch where my poll used to be apparently can't accomodate my polling place somewhere within their 60 million sq. ft. temple.
things aren't looking good for the voting in this country. i am just encouraging everyone to try to vote. i don't know what else to do at this point.
Hubby and I did get our absentee ballots (as did my parents) and we were all informed that they have been recieved at the Board of Elections earlier this week. I am going to be a Dem volunteer Tuesday. Being pregnant, I don't have the stamina that I did in 2004 when I was a GOTV volunteer w/a team of lawyers who documented voter problems all election day, but I will be collecting Dem absentee ballots for folks (mostly elderly and/or those w/o cars) who have been unable to get their absentee ballots mailed in before the polls close at 7:30pm. If I encounter any shadiness, I will be taping it on my camcorder. Good luck on Tuesday, and let's all pray and hope that e-voting is unable to steal it all away again.
I wouldn't wish Ohio upon my worst enemy!! You poor soul! I hope you find/get/keep your vote. Ohio is to voting what Richard Daley is to Chicago politics.
Our absentee ballots have a strip that we can remove that has our number on it for proof of voting. It can be matched to their logs or whatever it is that they use as a record.
I'll be curious to find out how it turns out for you. I'll have an open thread at my site Tuesday night with driks of your choice. It would be interesting to find out what others around the country have to say about what's happening then and there. You live in a notorious county...saw that on HBO about the voter fraud machines.
Hope you drop by if you can.
Every election I vow to my wife, "That's the last fucking election I'll ever vote in." She knows I'm a damn liar. But when your Green candidate is forbidden to debate against his dem and repug opponents, when your district's been gerrymandered so if you vote democrat and every registered democrat in your precinct votes, it doesn't fucking matter, you lose anyway, and if it's a presidential election and your state votes a winner, the electoral college can override the vox populi and cast their votes for the loser making him the winner, voting--well--leaves a really bad fucking taste in my mouth. So, once more I went out and violated my oath and VOTED FOR THE LAST FUCKING TIME. And I'm not even poor (well, I may be soon) Black, Hispanic or redheaded. (Sorry Enigma, couldn't resist that one.)
And then I heard Jimmy Carter remind us this weekend why the U.S. doesn't even qualify to have observers oversee the election process: It doesn't meet, or violates, conditions necessary for fair elections.
But this has been a nice break from my task this afternoon. Enjoyed reading everyone's comments here at Enigma's Cafe. Back to the hard work--melting down my plowshares. (Thanks Meldonna for the idea. The time for votes not being counted is over.)
Hey Enigma Cafe Dwellers & VOTERS:
I will repond more later to the great comments above.
I VOTED !!!!!!! YAHOO!!!!!!!
I am blogging on it later....WE HAVE STORMED THE CASTLE-
TIME TO GET OUR GOVERNMENT BACK!!!!!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH......
Congratulations Enigma! How DOES it feel to vote and have it count??? I hope this is an omen.
Dada:
IT FEELS AWESOME,
LIKE I JUST THREW A BIG GIANT COWPIE AT THE WHITE HOUSE...
I WAS EVEN REGISTERED THIS TIME ( ON A SPECIAL LIST- I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS- BUT THEY FOUND MY NAME AT THE TABLE- THE FIRST TIME IN THIS DECADE ;-)
My son, mr 6-6, all of 15 watched, Cameras were not allowed BUT I told them I was homeschooling , and we were making a movie of the experience, so they kindly let us film , ( it is a tiny handheld camera) the only thing they asked was please don't film the Electronic Machines, and the poll workers waved and smiled, and there were THREE Obeservers this time, I have never voted ever where there were Observers in place....it was very interesting. I interviewed one. ( I voted in a prescinct that had alot of problems in 2004....coffee and soda was offered to the observers- they were very Welcome).
( I confess Mel I did have that George Micheal FREEDOM song in my head...)
There are already problems with the machines here, I don't know what exactly but I have already heard that some polls are staying open late...
We are watching Keith ( of course) and he is on with Tweetie Chris Matthews....and we are occasionally checking Anderson Cooper over on CNN...wehlp it is gonna be a long night....
Yayyyyy! Steel-toed Enigma & her long,tall back-up stomped in & kicked some sense into Ohio! Actually, they did sound pretty nice at your poll. Blackwell is history, but like a bad dream, his office first begged not to let your polls stay open late, then agreed but only if the votes cast after the usual closing time are held & NOT counted until Nov 28th?!?!? That's what Tweety says. Enough outraged spitting repubs to entertain us tonight into the wee hrs. I'm crossing every digit & appendage for the senate. Cock your ear to your SW & I think you'll be able to hear my whooop all the way from UT if that happens. ~~ D.K.
Hey DK; I am watching ALL of it- change your way is on the Horizon too....yup went to the polls and had mr6-6 with me- three people asked if he was 18 and who he played Ball for ??? ( after all we are in LeBron James land...). I voted in my neighborhood- very urban inner city- I would bet money that the votes from my prescint were tossed in 2004....
Bushhumping Blackwell just conceded to Strickland...oh boo hoo....
Oh, DK I forgot- the rest of the Country is voting to send King George a messege...and but in Ohio people voted to send Blackwell a messege...
Post a Comment