http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1103/p09s02-coop.html
Charlotte, N.C. - There has been a lot of speculation that Barack Obama might win the election due to his better "ground game" and superior campaign organization.
I had the chance to view that organization up close this month when I canvassed for him. I'm not sure I learned much about his chances, but I learned a lot about myself and about this election.
Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again.
I encouraged my son to join the military. I was proud of him in Afghanistan, and happy when he came home, and angry when he was recalled because of the invasion of Iraq. I'm white, 55, I live in the South and I'm definitely going to get a bigger tax bill if Obama wins.
I am the dreaded swing voter.
So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told.
At the Obama headquarters, we stood in a group to receive our instructions. I wasn't the oldest, but close, and the youngest was maybe in high school. I watched a campaign organizer match up a young black man who looked to be college age with a white guy about my age to canvas together. It should not have been a big thing, but the beauty of the image did not escape me.
Instead of walking the tree-lined streets near our home, my wife and I were instructed to canvass a housing project. A middle-aged white couple with clipboards could not look more out of place in this predominantly black neighborhood.
We knocked on doors and voices from behind carefully locked doors shouted, "Who is it?"
"We're from the Obama campaign," we'd answer. And just like that doors opened and folks with wide smiles came out on the porch to talk.
Grandmothers kept one hand on their grandchildren and made sure they had all the information they needed for their son or daughter to vote for the first time.
Young people came to the door rubbing sleep from their eyes to find out where they could vote early, to make sure their vote got counted.
We knocked on every door we could find and checked off every name on our list. We did our job, but Obama may not have been the one who got the most out of the day's work.
I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the "big things."
It's not about taxes. I'm pretty sure mine are going to go up no matter who is elected.
It's not about foreign policy. I think we'll figure out a way to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan no matter which party controls the White House, mostly because the people who live there don't want us there anymore.
I don't see either of the candidates as having all the answers.
I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.
My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me.
Subject: Find Your Voting Location: 1) For Early Voting; 2) Voting On Election Day Tuesday November 4th
1. Find Your Early Voting Location
This link shows where you can go to Early Vote by entering your zip code and optionally your address: http://govote.org/ (click on ‘View Larger Map’ after you see the first map to reveal the Early Voting Location address and polling times)
2. Find Your Voting Location on Election Day (next Tuesday, November 4th for everybody* )
This link shows where you can Vote on Election Day by entering your zip code and address:
http://maps.google.com/vote
3. *Dispel the ‘Staggered Voting Date’ Rumor
Some Republican election machines have been giving the misleading message to voters that: “Election/Voting Day is November 4th for Republican Voters and November 5th for Democratic Voters”
This destructive misinformation has been misleading many voters, especially those who are new to the election process.
Please dispel this poisonous destructive rumor with everybody you meet, and tell them:
“Election/Voting Day is Tuesday November 4th for Everybody: Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike”.
Please forward this message to all your email groups, message boards, Facebook and so on.
Early Voting for the entire state of Florida has just been extended.
Every Early Vote location in Florida will now be every day from 7am-7pm up through November 2.
Please pass along this great news to everyone you know who will be voting in Florida. Click here to find your nearest early vote location.
Here's the release:
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS ~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~October 28, 2008Contact:GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008. "I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote." Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting. Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting. Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29. Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217. STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217 WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties; WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; andWHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008. GOVERNORATTEST:SECRETARY OF STATE
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS
~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~
October 28, 2008
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394
TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
"I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote."
Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting.
Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting.
Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29.
Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217.
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217
WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and
WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and
WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and
WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties;
WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; and
WHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008.
GOVERNOR
ATTEST:
SECRETARY OF STATE
After reading a dermatologist's open letter to John McCain asking him to divulge his Entire medical
records and seeing Ms Palin's "interviews" (SCARY) it is More IMPORTANT than ever to get
the word out to Everyone to Vote for Sen Obama
http://thegreatschlep.com/site/default.html
comedienne Sarah Silverman encourages grandchildren to head to Florida to turn out votes for Obama Watch the Video Now! I challenge you not to laugh while watching this new Sarah Silverman video encouraging grandchildren to head to Florida to turn out votes for Obama. The start of the new “The Great Schlep.com” series of celebrity videos boosting the Land of Lincoln’s prospects.
"Obama Says If He Wins Florida, He Wins the Election"
So...we have to "put the pedal to the metal." We only have until Oct 6 to register our TARGET DEMOGRAPHICS.
Time is our most precious resource right now...we will never get this week again.
If you're not already involved in a registration drive, please contact your field director or precinct captain through your local office; they know the best. target rich places to go. If you can't do that, take the volunteers at your office some food. They rather work than take time out to go get food. While you're there, ask if there's anything else you can do--
46 offices now open- http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/floffices
"Obama Says If He Wins Florida, He Wins the White House"
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/09/20/politics/fromtheroad/entry4462359.shtml
From CBS News: (MIAMI) - Barack Obama will be campaigning in Florida for the second day in a row today, making up for lost time during the Democratic primary, when the Democrats agreed not to campaign here after the state moved it's primary to January, in violation of party rules. At a fundraiser here last night, Obama’s pitch to donors included a prediction – if he wins Florida, he will win the election. “I’ll tell you, we can win this thing without Florida, but boy, it’s a lot easier if we win Florida,” Obama said, adding, “If we win Florida, it is almost impossible for John McCain to win.” While speaking at the home of supporters, Irene and Chris Korge, Obama also had sharp criticism for both George Bush and John McCain’s response to this week’s financial crisis. Obama accused Bush of being absent, saying that there has been a “vacuum” of leadership from the White House. “Here we have the greatest crisis probably since 9/11 and our president was absent.” He went on to link McCain to the Bush Administration, charging him with having to borrow ideas from Bush and Karl Rove because he doesn’t have his own.
There was a message circulating some of our groups in Florida yesterday that spread incorrect information conerning the the ID needed to vote. We're going to clarify below.
A message from the Florida Campaign for Change chief election lawyer:
I am the Obama-Biden campaign’s chief election lawyer in Florida, and I have received the 'no match no vote' message from several sources. This message is categorically false. Our reading of the clear statutory language does NOT require that the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively ccnfirms:http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330 See the last bullet:· I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
I am the Obama-Biden campaign’s chief election lawyer in Florida, and I have received the 'no match no vote' message from several sources. This message is categorically false.
Our reading of the clear statutory language does NOT require that the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively ccnfirms:http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330
See the last bullet:
· I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
Please feel free to email florida@barackobama.com with any questions or concerns.
Below please find a detailed Grass-Roots "How To Guide" on Voter Registration from the Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/23/132922/423/583/555718
Below please find a link to an Obama Florida “Quick Reference” Info Sheet in 8-1/2” x 11” format for voters, giving them quick and easy links to many Obama things going on in Florida.
http://snipurl.com/2nrov or http://okeechobeedemocrats.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/obama20info20sheet.pdf
Especially in the internet age, this is something you can hand to people on the street or leave in coffee shops, and it gives them most important links they will need. Hopefully many of these people will also sign up with the campaign and donate or volunteer as a result. It contains info on Voter Registration - even for ex-felons, local Obama Groups, Obama Events, how to Volunteer, how to get Obama Merchandise and much more. I also found a lot of people I met out campaigning “wanted to help the campaign” and wanted to “get involved”, but I had nothing to give them with detailed links. I hope this sheet will solve that. Also the url’s on the Obama website can be impossibly long so I’ve abbreviated them using url’s from www.snipurl.com. You can print this sheet double-sided on 8-1/2” x 11” paper inexpensively either in black and white or color at home or at a print shop.
Local print shops can be found as below:http://www.theupsstore.com/ or http://www.fedex.com/us/officeprint/main/ (just look for Fedex Kinko's locations, not the other shipping locations).I think this sheet is worth handing out to or emailing to the numerous “passive” Obama supporters in every county and getting many more of them contributing to the campaign.Please also forward the link to all your Obama friends and groups in Florida!JohnPS if anybody wants the original MSWord document to modify for local conditions or to put it into Spanish please email me.Any suggestions for improvement also gratefully received, though I make no promise as to when I will update it!
If you want Obama campaign materials for your event, you can obtain them from the sources below. Be sure to order them in good time for your Voter Registration Event as they can take a few weeks to arrive.You cannot give items of value away to potential voters if it could be construed you were doing that to get somebody to support Obama or the Democrats. It's probably therefore best to sell the pins and bumper stickers and anything else of noticeable value for a modest price (at or above your cost).
Two sources of Obama Pins, Stickers, T-Shirts and other Obama "Stuff" are:
1. Obama Website (check their delivery times):http://store.barackobama.com/
2. Democratic Stuffhttp://www.democraticstuff.com/
Note you can also make your OWN posters locally. The artwork is available for download from the Obama website. I got some beautiful 11" x 17" Obama posters printed on shiny cardstock at my local UPS Store Printshop and was charged about $1.34 each for them. You might be able to print larger than 11" x 17" at some printshops if they have the larger plotters. Note I would put the poster .pdf files onto a flash drive or CD to give to the person at the printshop for efficiency, although they could access them on-line also.
One Obama downloads page is at: http://www.barackobama.com/downloads/ It has Obama posters in different colors under "Posters" and "Signs."
Note there are also "Issue Flyers" there on subjects like Seniors, Environments, and so on. You can print these out for voters who ask about issues. Check out the other media there too.This is a GREAT resource to use. You can also find .pdf downloads at those links for Obama flyers on policy issues and other matters, Obama logos and all the other artwork you need for a campaign.UPS Store Printshop Locations you can print these out on large paper are at (search by zip code):http://www.theupsstore.com/
Fedex/Kinko Printshop Locations are at (search by zip code):http://www.fedex.com/us/officeprint/main/ (just look for Fedex Kinko's locations, not the other shipping locations)
Some general advice from a Florida lawyer on rallies or private gatherings:
If you have a rally or private gathering you can invite whomever you want, and do not have to invite everybody. You do not have to make all your events "public", they can be "private rallies". If you're registering voters at this event you must take everyone's registration and you can't influence their decision on party preference or other choices. You can have an OBAMA sign at the rally but it would be safe to have at least a 10 foot distance between the registration table and the RALLY. At the registration table itself you should not have a sign per se other than registration sign. You can set up your rally in any "targeted neighborhood" (OBAMA friendly) and that is quite legitimate.
There are a multiude of possible locations for Voter Registration Drives. These can be in public places or on private property, which include many shopping centres.
If you hold your Voter Registration Drive in a public place (e.g. outside a public library, in a town square, park or on a beach), you may have the general right to be there and talk to people under the 1st Amendment. However many municipalities require a permit e.g. to have a tent in a park or on a beach, so be sure to check up on this first. You may also want to check with the local Sheriff's office for any concerns they may have. If in doubt, ask local officials ahead of time to prevent any difficulties once you've set up.
Retail centres which attract your target demographics are often a favorite. If planning to be outside a particular store, you should get permission from the store owner, preferably in writing stating the hours you can be there and any particular conditions they require. Some store managers may say No to party specific posters or banners, and others may not care. This policy can vary from store to store even within the same chain. Favorite stores may be Wal*Mart, Publix, Winn-Dixie and 7-11.
Wal*Marts typically have a "non-profits schedule book" where you get a slot booked for your event (e.g. Salvation Army is one Saturday, Vote for Change the next Saturday for 6 hours, etc) with a specific staff member managing this book. These Wal*Mart slots can often get booked up well in advance so be sure to book yours up ahead of time.
Outside or inside local college grounds is another favorite, although most students will be away during the Summer. It would be best to plan these for the Fall when college is back but at least 6 weeks before election day (prior to Sept 23rd). Again if you're planning one of these check with the college administration and Sheriff's office for any possible concerns and get written permission if you want to be on the college premises.
Demographics can vary significantly across different parts of your city, county and across the State of Florida. It is therefore important to target your Voter Registration Drives as finely as you can to (hopefully) only register people to vote who support Senator Obama. This is a tactic which has been adopted by both parties for many years. It's therefore important to identify your target demographics and set up your Voter Registration Drives in particular streets in a certain areas of town, or in particular shopping centres or outside certain colleges where you expect your target demographics to be in the majority.
[Note that you may get people asking to be registered who have different political views from you and who may support John McCain. Remember that you MUST register those people if they request it, and you can face heavy fines if you refuse to do so.]
We saw an analysis of polling data in Florida in a June 18, 2008 article as below which put Obama : McCain at 47% : 43% state-wide:http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x2882.xml?ReleaseID=1187
For fuller analysis of that polling data and our target demographics in Florida click 'Read More'
When registering voters, you should normally let each voter fill out the registration form him- or herself. If people have difficulty filling out the forms then you can offer to help, but only do so if they give you permission. There are two types of the same form. An older red and blue card Voter Registration Application, or a newer black and white 8 1-2" x 11" paper Voter Registration Application which you can find on the internet at these links: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/pdf/webappform.pdf (English form) or http://election.dos.state.fl.us/pdf/webappform_spanish.pdf (form in Spanish). If you are registering Spanish-speaking voters it is advisable to have a team member present who speaks Spanish.We advise voters to only fill out the "red sections" or "black sections" on the forms (sections 2 thru 8 and section 16), not the "blue sections" or "white sections" (sections 9 thru 15), but we also suggest they fill out section 12 (party affiliation) so they can vote in party-restricted elections like primaries. Be especially careful to fill in section 6 in full (ID #) and to check the notes on special identification requirements.Please also note that when on a voter registration drive you cannot refuse to register anybody who asks or who is of a different party affiliation. There are heavy fines if you do this, and you must turn in all completed forms to the Supervisor of Elections. There are also strict times limits for handing completed Voter Registration Applications in and you can face heavy fines if you do not turn these in to the Supervisor of Elections' office within 10 days of them being filled out. It is therefore highly advisable to hand the forms in to the SOE the NEXT WORKING DAY AFTER the registration drive, to prevent forms being forgotten or lost. White on the VR Drive it is also advisable to appoint a central "collection person" to collect all the completed forms. For full details on the law for third party voter registration activities check this link at: http://snipurl.com/2lt5o . Details of Supervisor of Election's Offices in each Florida County can be found at: http://snipurl.com/2mnll . Although you should return completed forms to the applicant's county of residence they can be processed at other county SOE offices if sent to them in error. The voter can also choose to mail the form in him/herself, but you may want to check if they have a first class stamp or provide them with one (if feeling generous) and write the correct SOE address on the outside to ensure it gets mailed to the Supervisor of Elections' office in their county of residence.
The Florida Division of Elections website and rules on applications can be found at: http://snipurl.com/2n1ak
Some potential voters may ask you questions regarding past felonies, and if their voting rights have been restored. While it is ultimately up to the potential voter to check if their voting rights have been restored, here are some links containing two databases of people whose rights have been restored, along with details of the clemency process and the Tallahassee Office of Executive Clemency contact information:
Restoration of Voting Rights:http://restoremyvote.com (1-877-607-3786), http://www.restorerights.org (1-877-826-8682) http://www.aclufl.org
Clemency:http://snipurl.com/2mmft & https://fpc.state.fl.us/Clemency.htm
As Obama supporters registering voters in Florida we are classified as a “Third Party Voter Registration Organization” - with rules per Fla Statute 97.0575: http://snipurl.com/2lt5o (please read this).
We are NOT a “Voter Registration Agency" (like the DMV) which is governed by a different Florida statute 97.058: http://snipurl.com/2mz4s (please read this if you need to).
The complete Florida statute on Voter Regn. Chapter 97 is at: http://snipurl.com/2mz6j (please read this if you need to).
When on a voter registration drive you MUST register anybody who asks you. You cannot refuse them because you think they might have different politics from yourself (e.g. Democrat vs. Republican). If the volunteer voter registration service is offered, it must be available to all the people you meet who wish to use it.
Here is the voter registration guideline we use for Broward County, Florida. It contains the phone number for the Division of Pardons for felons and also instructions for homeless people. When voters fill out the application review it carefully. We had a 25% error rate in our first voter registration drive. Common mistakes: not checking off all o fthe boxes athe the top, and failing to enter the person identification info (SSN) because that box is off to the right. Try to get the registrant to enter their phone number, so elections officials can call them if there are any problems with their application.
Im hoping to get some Information, Tips and Input from other Voter Registration Groups.
Anyone having input is welcome as I want to make sure things run without issues. So here are some of the topics, issues and help Im looking for along with what we have set in action so far.
Getting Permission: Has anyone had to send a letter to places you had or wanted to have Voter Registration Drives? I would love to see copies to design a standard one for my area. Just fill in the blanks kinda thing. I have been lucky due to my work to just call and get an OK from someone but I want to work on a letter to send to several places.
VRD Supply Kits: I have started putting together a List of things our VRD Teams should take with them as well put together 2 VRD Kits. Im looking to see if others have done this as well or if there are other things we should include in our Kits and checklist.
YES there is more.. Keep Reading
