7 Ways to Steal Back Your Vote

The following is an excerpt from the Steal Back Your Vote! investigative comic by Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. available as a free download at www.StealBackYourVote.org

1. Don't don't don't Mail In Your Ballot -- unless...

For those of you who mailed in your ballot, please tell me, what happened to it? You don't know, do you? I can tell you that officially, three-fourths of a million absentee ballots were never counted last time, on the weakest of technical excuses. And you won't even know it. Furthermore, tens of thousands of ballots are not mailed out to voters in time to return them -- in which case you're out of luck. Most states won't let you vote in-precinct once you've applied to vote absentee. Every time I hear of a voter going "absentee" to avoid computer screens, I want to "go postal" myself.

But for gosh sakes -- don't throw out your ballot if you have a mail-in. Either mail it in, making sure to include ID if required (you first-time voters) or, better, WALK it into your county clerk's office.

2. Vote Early...very early

Every state now lets voters cast ballots in designated polling stations and at county offices in the weeks before Election Day. Do it. Don't wait until Election Day to find out you have the wrong ID, your registration's "inactive," or you're on a challenge list. By Election Day, there's little to do but hold up the line.

3. Register and Register and Register

Think you're registered to vote? Think again. With all this purg'n going on, you could be x'd out and you won't know it. Check online with your Secretary of State's office or call your County Board of Elections. Then register your girlfriend, your wife, your mailman and your mommy. Contact the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the League of Women Voters, and your local party organization, and commit to a couple of days of door-to-door registration, especially in minority neighborhoods or at social service agency offices. And if you've served the time, you can sign: in almost every state, ex-cons can vote.

4. Vote Unconditionally, Not Provisionally

In 2008, they'll be handing out provisional ballots like candy, especially to Hispanic voters. If your right to vote is challenged, don't accept a provisional ballot that will likely not get counted no matter what the sweet little lady at the table tells you. She won't decide; partisan sharks will. Demand adjudication from poll judges on the spot; demand a call to the supervisor of elections; or return with acceptable ID if possible. And be a champ: defend the rights of others.

If you've taken Step 1 above and voted early, you have Election Day free to be a poll watcher. Run into trouble ­-- you've been caged or purged or challenged -- call Election Protection at 1-(866) OUR-VOTE. Then challenge the challengers, the weird guys with Blackberrys containing lists of "suspect" voters. Be firm, but no biting.

5. Occupy Ohio, Invade Nevada

The revolution will not be podcast. Let go of that mouse, get out of your PJs and take the resistance door-to-door--to register the vote, to canvass the voters, to get out the vote. Donate time to your union (if you're not in a union, why not?) or to the troublemakers I've already listed here and on our site. This may seem a stupendously unoriginal suggestion, but I know of no other method more effective for confronting the armed and dangerous junta that has seized the White House.

6. Date a Voter

Voting, like bowling and love, should never be done alone. As our sponsor, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, says, make a date to 'Arrive with Five.' And keep this comic book in your holster - with our 800 numbers and your photo ID in your hand. And Bobby, make sure your ID says, "Robert Kennedy JUNIOR" or your vote is toast.

7. Make the Democracy Demand: No Vote Left Behind!

I have this crazy fantasy in my head. In it, an election is stolen and the guy who's wrongly declared the loser stands up in front of the White House and says three magic words: "Count the votes." You can have all the paper ballots in the world, but if you don't demand to look at them, publicly, in a recount, you might as well mark them with invisible ink. Democracy requires vigilance The Day After. That's when you check in at www.stealbackyourvote.org one more time.

Nation Institute fellow Greg Palast and election law expert Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are authors of an investigation of vote suppression in Rolling Stone.

Go to www.StealBackYourVote.org to download the guide for free or pick up print copies of the investigative comic book by Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Every donation you make for copies of the comic allows us to send more out to low income groups in states like Ohio, New Mexico and Colorado. Get the guide now - all copies will be sent out via priority mail. If your group would like to distribute the Steal Back Your Vote guide please contact keri (at) gregpalast.com for special rates.

Comments

[LHoney]

How about a voting machine that shows the total votes for each candidate so far? So that, when you place your vote, you can see that the number has risen by 1. AND, you can take note of the time, and know at least how many votes your candidate had at that time, you could even take a picture of the display! Whadaya think?

[BassMonk]

Terrible idea. Way too many people vote based on who they think will win.

[BillCarson]

Also, here's some useful voting information at Obama's website:

Find Your State voting Information: http://www.barackobama.com/voters/
Report any voting problems: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/vpcreport
For lawyers, volunteer: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/vpcvol2

[ReesieKitty]

You can never be too careful!!! We bought a house last year and even though we are in the same county, we are in a different voting district. When I got my driver's license address changed last year, I asked if it would automatically update my voter registration or if I needed to do that separately. I was told that my registration was automatically updated by the nice older guy working at the DMV .

Flash forward to a couple of months ago and my boyfriend has received his new voter reg card in the mail at our house- but I haven't gotten one! So I go online and check- and they still have my old addy and all my old information. I did have to go online and re-register and everything. So ALWAYS check for yourself! I don't think the guy at the DMV was trying to scam me- he just thought he knew something he didn't really know. OWN it and find out for yourself what the rules are!!

[Glenn1441]

Mr. Kennedy,

I flatter myself that perhaps you read my comment to your previous post, regarding your excellent comic book 'Steal Back Your Vote!'

As a NY resident, I have long admired your passionate work in the Hudson Valley. As a NY resident, I'd love to work for you. Emptying your wastebasket. Whatever.

Your passion is only matched by your humanness, humanity and humility.

[ElBruce]

Another thing worth mentioning - in areas where there aren't enough polling places to meet the demand, get in line early and stay there. The notion that insufficient access only helps Republicans is based on the assumption that Democrats won't show up early and won't stick with it if there are long lines. Clog those lines and keep 'em filled. If they want to see any Republican voters they'll have to open up access so they get a chance to reach the front.

[txrotorhead]

The place to check registration status here in Montana:

http://app.mt.gov/voterinfo/

[checksixb17]

Robert, thank you for your service to our country! Thank you for getting involved. I will stand up with you when ever I can. You are fighting the good fight.

Thank you Sir!

[checksixb17]

Taxes Again! Every one wants to bring up Obama's tax cuts! Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, came up with the idea of a Progressive tax for all Americans. A Republican idea that the rich should pay more than the poor in terms of taxes. Anyone remember the Earned income tax Credit to help the poor. This tax idea Takes money from the rich and gives to the poor, big time....Ronald Reagan's idea. You might recognize Mr. Reagan as a Republican. Mr. Obama is not even close to the Reagan taxes of taking money (big time) from the rich and giving it to the poor.

[checksixb17]

Republicans are spend and charge it to your grand children politicians! The Repubs say that Democrats are tax and spend. Okay, at the very least the Democrats pay as you go and leave with a surplus. The Repubs spend it, give the rich a tax break, charge it to your grand children, and leave with the largest debt in American History! They say it's 10 trillion but, the economist's say it is really about 61 trillion dollars. I'll trade the Repubs in every time for what they call a tax and spend Democrat. Give me that old tax and spend guy every time. We'll pay as we go, we'll regulate the fat cats on Wall Street, we'll leave everyone with a surplus. The Repubs have spent us so far into the future that we are on the verge of the second Great Depression. What you have seen so far is only the tiny beginning. I promise I will probably vote for a Democrat the rest of my life. Sure, I'm like Will Rogers, I don't belong to an organized party because I'm a Democrat. There are, in this country many more Democrats than Republicans, always have been.... But we don't vote unless there is a catastrophy. Well, here we are again, and we are all going to vote!

[slg]

Even at 10,000,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars your great grandchildren will still be paying off the interest.

[flyingswallow]

Thanks! You've pretty much said it all. What I don't get is how come the 'tax averse' voters don't see through the Repug sham? Oooooooh, I think I just answered my own question: they're not really pay as you go fiscal conservatives at all! They figure they'll just stiff'em when the bill comes 'round -- or be long gone when the grandkids & great grandkids have to pay!

[windyYooper]

the repubs are very worried.....
and they are getting desperate....
their lies aren't having the effect they had in the past...
the dirty tricks at the polls are sure to be more intense this cycle....
be vigilant...
be polite.....
but complain LOUDLY if you feel disinfranchised...
and don't stop complaining until voting is fair....
for everyone...