Computer Ate My Vote: TrueMajority Members Rally
Last Tuesday, TrueMajority led a coalition of seven other groups to stage simultaneous media events in 19 states around The Computer Ate My Vote campaign. Advocates of verifiable balloting delivered about 350,000 petition signatures to state election officials, asking that they offer paper ballots this November to ensure that votes actually get counted and that recounts in close elections are possible.

The national coalition included TrueMajority, MoveOn, Democracy for America, Common Cause, Working Assets, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and VerifiedVoting.org, and state-based groups across the country. In addition to the 19 state events, we organized a media conference call so that national journalists could hear from Howard Dean, California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, Representative Rush Holt, Stanford computer professor David Dill of VerifiedVoting.org and Ben Cohen.

That’s Ben, with the vote-eating computer costume, and TrueVoteMD’s Linda Schade at the rally in Annapolis, Maryland.

The media coverage was significant: 17 million impressions and counting—from the likes of the New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, NPR, Associated Press (three separate articles) and dozens of newspapers, TV and radio stations. Click here to see the media coverage.
 
What our coalition representing over 3 million Americans asked for is simple:  When we go to the polls on November 2, we want to make sure that our votes count. We asked our election officials to offer paper ballots so voters can know that the ballot we cast is verified by the voter who cast it, not a piece of software. We want elections decided by citizens, not computer errors.

TrueMajority has been organizing on this election protection issue for seven months now and we’re making a difference. Eight states have chosen to ensure that voters will see their choices on paper, double the number when we began. Tuesday’s action was one big step toward furthering those numbers.

Bev Harris, author of the landmark book Black Box Voting, addresses a rowdy crowd of Texans on Tuesday. Questions from reporters drew out the event for two hours. People like you—concerned, informed and involved—are the best America has to offer. We’re proud of the opportunity to stand with you.

Thanks,
Ben, Duane, Mark, Matt, Kendra, Jason, Aaron and Katherine
TrueMajority’s Computer Ate My Vote Team
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Below is a summary of what happened in the various states.
Florida:  A total of eight rallies were held in the "ground zero" state for election problems, including one in Tallahassee where 27,000 signatures were delivered to Secretary of State Glenda Hood’s office. Coverage appeared in multiple state papers.
Ohio: Over 200 folks rallied at the statehouse, along with balloons, banners and a six-foot-tall smoking, buzzing mock-up of a malfunctioning voting machine. The CBS affiliate went live from the rally.
Maryland: The rally in Annapolis, staged by TrueVoteMD, was attended by more than 100 citizens, including state senators and delegates of both parties as well as TrueMajority president Ben Cohen. Governor Robert Ehrlich would not accept our stack of petitions, citing "security concerns," but did allow a delegation to speak to Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele. "It was really the best America has to offer," Ben reported. "Average citizens who are concerned about our democracy, taking time out of their lives to help make sure our elections are fair."
South Carolina:  After the press conference held by the South Carolina Progressive Network, activists met with the South Carolina attorney general, from whom they are seeking a state ruling that the Help America Vote Act itself requires a paper trail.
Colorado: Crowd estimates were up to 250 at the rally, which was attended by state officeholders and candidates in addition to longtime voting activists from Boulder and Denver. Things got exciting when about 50 of those folks crossed the street to deliver their 13,411 petitions to Secretary of State Donetta Davidson's office. They were intercepted by building security and then city police. They asked to see the secretary or a representative, only to be provided with an unintentional bit of comic relief when the receptionist claimed, "They're all out to lunch."
New Jersey: Over a hundred activists at the statehouse in Trenton rallied with a representative from the office of Congressman Rush Holt, author of federal legislation to mandate voter-verified paper ballots nationwide. A staffer for New Jersey Governor James McGreevey accepted a stack of more than 20,000 petitions.
Pennsylvania: State Representative Mark Cohen and speakers from Common Cause, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Citizens for Civil Justice, Congressman Rush Holt’s office and Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities addressed a crowd of about 120. Public radio powerhouse WHYY carried the rally as the lead on its 5:30 p.m. drive-time news.
Connecticut:  Despite a summer rain shower, a crowd of about 30 voting activists, peace and justice folks and good government types gathered under the south portico of the Connecticut State Capitol to call for voter-verified paper ballots.
Kentucky:  About 25 people gathered in 100-degree heat outside the statehouse in Frankfort. The local NBC television crew filmed the activists as they marched through the statehouse and delivered their petitions to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office.
Massachusetts:  A delegation of five activists delivered petitions to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, with coverage by Massachusetts newspapers.
Washington:  A crowd of 75 activists rallied across the street from the Snohomish County office building. Snohomish County Auditor Bob Terwilliger (the county's top elections official) dropped in on the rally to debate the issue before the activists delivered their petitions to his office. Ironically, the auditor's office provided the activists with a paper receipt for the delivery.
Texas:  About 150 activists packed a hearing room in the Texas statehouse, spilling out into the hallway and cheering the remarks of paper ballot activist Bev Harris and computer security expert Dan Wallach. Sign-toting Code Pink activists outside added to the atmosphere. Television news crews and major state print outlets like the Dallas Morning News and the Texas Observer asked so many questions that the event stretched on for two hours.
New York:  Common Cause NY led a rally of about 125 citizens at the statehouse in Albany, where they laid out a strip of petitions from rally site to the capitol.
California: At the San Diego County building, members of SAVE-Democracy, Clean Government, Democracy for America and others were interviewed by at least four camera crews, focusing on the need for a voter-verified paper ballot nationwide.
Utah:  Two dozen activists generated a strong media turnout in this state, where folks are working to prevent a pending purchase of electronic voting machines.
Wisconsin:  Over 100 people showed up to hear from two state legislators and a computer scientist. The group also collected over 500 signatures on our petition in the past five days, urging their congresspeople to cosponsor HR 2239 (which requires paper ballots nationwide).
Indiana:  Two dozen Hoosiers rallied in the capital. They delivered their petitions to Secretary of State Todd Rokita, who said, "This is a serious issue … and it deserves a serious debate."
(At this writing, reports from New Mexico and North Carolina are still coming in.)