1. Excellent, I'll be listening. Is there a list of speakers for Tuesday posted somewhere?

Posted by: Robert Knight on January 9, 2005 01:31 PM

2. Before anyone calls for new laws to improve the WA voting system (or listens to such calls), they should look at the law we have -- and, I would think, call for it to be followed. Anyone interested should read RCW 29A.04.610 and 29A.04.611. (Google for revised code washington. More about the difference between 610 and 611 below). These are the sections that, as mentioned several times earlier by others in this blog, require the secretary of state to set election rules consistent with other parts of Washington election law.

The law is plain, comprehensive, and specific about what is supposed to be done. IF reasonable --and tight -- rules were in place pursuant to this law and this law only, there would be little problem. I've seen it stated or implied several times in this blog that such rules do not exist. I do not doubt the truthfulness of the people making these statements, but it boggles the mind that this could be so. So I'm going to get in touch with the secretary of state's office Monday to ask them how I can obtain a copy of the rules.

I am making this point because one can be credible in calling for new laws only if he or she understands what the existing ones say. And the existing ones are both clear and comprehensive. I'm sure revisions will be needed, but existing law is the starting point. In addition, if existing law is not being followed, then more laws are not necessarily the place to start. In fact, they could be a distraction.

By the way, the two versions of this law, 610 and 611, are identical word-for-word, except that the newer 611 adds "Procedures for conducting partisan primary elections" to the scope of the secretary of state's rules. Apparently, 610 is still on the books because, according to a revision note, it was amended during the same session it was replaced, and the amendment needs something to point to. The important thing is that the two versions are identical with this one exception, which is minor in the current dispute. I mention this so you won't be surprised, as I was, by the redundant material.

One other thing. In many, maybe most, parts of the world, it would be laughable for a mere citizen like myself to expect to be given a copy of election rules (if they exist), much less to have a reasonable expectation that they should exist. Or to expect that elections exist. It says something very good about our country that we can have such expectations.

Posted by: Boonie on January 9, 2005 01:33 PM

3. Is there any indication how many people will be attending the rally on Tuesday? Is there a goal we're shooting for?

I'm taking a vacation day so I can be down there in deer-hunter orange.

Posted by: Erik on January 9, 2005 01:53 PM

4. Erik,

At one point, I remember reading that there was hopes of 25,000 people being at the rally. Not sure if that will be the case or not. I am hoping so, I too will be in ORANGE, as will two of my children. I have spread the word at my dr.'s office, etc.. and have received a warm reception and questions as to time, location, etc... We'll see.

Posted by: Orange Robyn on January 9, 2005 02:07 PM

5. Erik,
As many as we can get!!! Just make sure when you come that your car is full with people!

On a side note, are you the same "Erik" that was questioning my credibilty in regards to provisional ballots being voted at the polling sites in your posts? If you are it is glad to see that you have come around!

Either way hope to see you at the rally!

Posted by: Joe on January 9, 2005 02:08 PM

6. Joe,

That wasn't me. There are two "Erik's" on this site, and I'm the conservative one....

Posted by: Erik on January 9, 2005 02:14 PM

7. For those who plan to make the trek to Oly for the 10:30 Tuesday ReVote Rally at the Capitol:

Latest gridpoint forecast for Olympia sez low Mon night 10 Jan expected to be 29 degrees. Mostly cloudy Tues 11 Jan; high 42 degrees. BUT: That high will be long after 10:30; and also forecast SW wind at 16 mph, with PoMP at 40 percent.
IOW: If you are going to stand around outside for the duration of the rally, remember to wear your snuggies; no added value by being cold.

Also, if you are not familiar with Capitol campus recommend download campus map (also available at visitor center on 14th Ave):

http://www.ga.wa.gov/images/campus-map.pdf

Finally: If rally is well attended (I hope), competition for parking close to the capitol will likely be intense. If you hope to get a prime parking slot on the diagonals or etc., better get there EARLY.

SIDEBAR:
While it is block-and-a-half from the Legislative Bldg, I have been pretty successful during my amateur lobbying excursions to Oly in finding parking in the DNR parking lot (YMMV; especially next Tuesday (if 10,000+ people show up, ALL bets are off on parking)). DNR Bldg also has what is IMO the best public cafeteria on the Capitol campus...

Methow Ken

Posted by: Methow Ken on January 9, 2005 02:21 PM

8. Also remember that the dems have started a phone bank this weekend trying to get as many of theirs out there for a counter rally.

It is important that if you can go to GO! If you know of anyone who can't that wanted to write their name on your shirt or a sign!

Posted by: Joe on January 9, 2005 02:26 PM

9. Is there anything that those of us who cannot make it can do or sign (outside of revotewa.com) to show our support? Just checking if you are presenting a petition or just rallying?

Posted by: jordanc on January 9, 2005 03:03 PM

10. I have a 78 year old mother that REALLY wants to go to the rally. Does anybody have any suggestions on a good location, so we can arrive early and set up a place for a chair down there where she will able to see the happenings?

I've only been to the GSA building a couple of times and don't know the area real well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Posted by: Mary on January 9, 2005 03:04 PM

11. Mary, there should be a place to plop a chair down somewhere. Perhaps even high up on the capitol steps for a good view. Go for it. I've seen the set-up and I think it's do-able.

Jordanc: If you can't go, get an orange ribbon and put it on your antenna. I got a conversation started down the street at the Taco Time with one of the employees because of it. I also suggest getting an orange piece of construction paper and just writing RE-VOTE on it and put it in your car window. People will get the drift.

I've been driving around with orange paper signs that say Revotewa.com on them. Someone asked me about it on the road at a stoplight the other day. People see this stuff and recognize what it's about. Try it!

Posted by: Michele on January 9, 2005 03:32 PM

12. Mary how's your mother's singing?

I'm visualizing conservatives on the Capital steps singing to "We Shall Overcome."

Wouldn't that play well on the 5 O'Clock News!

I've found two versions - this one I can hum to at least and for those that need to hear it first try previewing them at the below link - even I was able to get the hang of it.

http://music.msn.com/search/all/?ss=we+shall+overcome

WE SHALL OVERCOME version 1

We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

Chorus:
Oh deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

We'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand some day

Chorus:

We shall all be free
We shall all be free
We shall all be free some day

Chorus:

We are not afraid
We are not afraid
We are not afraid today

Chorus:

We are not alone
We are not alone
We are not alone today

Chorus:

The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around some day

Chorus:

We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

Chorus:

Posted by: Mike on January 9, 2005 03:48 PM

13. I hope some of our friends from eastern Washington can make it to the rally as well. Talk about a disenfranchised group! In the meantime we can all call today at 7:00 (770am) - look forward to the show.

Posted by: CP on January 9, 2005 04:06 PM

14. i thought the republican chair of washington state said they wouldn't have called for a recount before the handcount.
now you want a revote?
you people are amazing.

Posted by: gumby on January 9, 2005 04:19 PM

15. "Wouldn't that play well on the 5 O'Clock News!"

In other news, Taliban Republican extremists & insurgents, who support Dino Rossi's sore-loser challenge to Governor Gregoire, mocked the spirit of Martin Luther King today by stealing and demeaning the civil rights anthem, We Shall Overcome. More from Paul Berendt, NAACP's Carl Mack, & Coretta Scott King at 11.

Posted by: sandalista on January 9, 2005 04:19 PM

16. Let me be clear here: I'll be rallying for Rossi until the Kaus (kausfiles.com) comes home, but i know exactly how 'We Shall Overcome' would come over on the 5 O'Clock News. It would be the hook that They are looking for to hook us around the neck and to pull us off the stage. 30 seconds of that kind of 'news' would be worse than 30 seconds over Tokyo. All of Stefan's good work and Fund's good thinking would be firebombed in an instant.

Welcome, by the way, to Matt Rosenberg. Excellent commentary on the TNT & Doorknob Dan Savage's Stranger.

Posted by: sandalista on January 9, 2005 04:28 PM

17. CHECKLIST for RALLY…

Not only is the ORANGE rally still on, but also this is what you might want to consider when going:

1. Wear insulated shoes (the cement gets very cold this time of the year)

2. Carpool if you can (this prevents parking headaches at the Olympia Capitol)

3. Keep your feet off the grass (the lawmakers don't like it when you step on their grass or hug their trees – could incur damage)

Take it from someone who has been to the Capitol annually for peaceful protests. Once you get there, you'll "hug" me for it! ;)

Posted by: TADD on January 9, 2005 04:47 PM

18. Brian, you said "We'll meet near the Medal of Honor fountain near the capitol. " Would that be the same thing as the Tivoli Fountain? I'm thinking so, but just wanted clarification.

Robyn

Posted by: Orange Robyn on January 9, 2005 05:11 PM

19. yes...is it the tivoli fountain???
and it wouldn't be a bad idea for everyone to contact the local t.v. news and tell them about the rally. in the past they have told me...with a straight face i might add....that they would have shown up and/or filmed if they ONLY knew about it.
at the ft.lewis rally they stood in the corner feigning interest[and filming] until it was over and then referred to the people at the rally as "stupid"...one 'news' man actually was yelling that at a woman who questioned him about the lack of coverage.
once again, their bias is showing.
so, everyone, give them a call or email...we wouldn't want them to be left out just because we have to do their job for them.......

Posted by: christmasghost on January 9, 2005 05:35 PM

20. Gumby - I believe that was BEFORE we learned that King County had about 1500 more votes than voters. KC said that is not unusual? The difference now is that there is a mere 130 vote difference between the candidates. So who won? Kapish?

Posted by: Ms. Cynical on January 9, 2005 05:47 PM

21. Boonie, I agree entirely. There's a lot of talk about improving procedure (which could be done!), but hell, the existing procedure was not even followed!!!

Posted by: Bostonian on January 9, 2005 07:25 PM

22. Gumby...great point!

Posted by: jim on January 9, 2005 07:50 PM

23. Hey guys, just want to give a little more rah! rah! rah! for the rally. I want to make sure nobody gets complacent and thinks that because this has headed to court, that we can sit back and put our feet up now.

As Brian Crouch stated in an earlier post, now more than ever we need to make sure we're there.

I would ask that everyone remember that our position is backed up by facts so we don't need to resort to giving democracy and/or Rossi supporters a bad name by behaving like idiots or reacting to others immaturely, (that is not meant to suggest that we have to be "mousy" either).

So, come early, dress warm (preferrably in orange). And, if you haven't signed the petition at www.revotewa.com, do it now and print out petitions for those who do not have internet access. My 79 year old grandma and her brother signed it this morning! :)

Orange Crush!! Go Democracy!!

Posted by: Orange Robyn on January 9, 2005 08:11 PM

24. Hey Robyn - Great job on the Rabi's radio show (770am) - good points. Stefan and Brian are terrific and do us proud. They're taking calls now on the radio show - 1/800/465-8770. Call folks.

Posted by: CP on January 9, 2005 08:24 PM

25. I just want to say thank you to all of you. This site gives me hope. Thank you to all the people who are speaking out on the radio and through the internet. You all make me feel like I have not gone mad!

Posted by: Laura on January 9, 2005 08:32 PM

26. January 8, 2005
2004Election_Reed_05_08_001

Secretary of State

Subject Decertify 2004 General Election

Attention: Sam Reed
sreed@secstate.wa.gov

Honorable Secretary of State Sam Reed.

You are required by RCW 43.07.030 (6) to certify to the legislature the election returns for all officers required by the Constitution to be so certified, and certify to the governor the names of all other persons who have received at any election the highest number of votes for any office the incumbent of which is to be commissioned by the governor.

The State Constitution, RCW’s, Attorney General opinions, Case Law, findings by the Secretary Of State’s Office, and your own public admissions require you to decertify your previous certification based, in part, on the following:

1) King County alone counted 3,539 more votes than the number of people who actually voted.
2) King County "discovered" additional ballots 9 different times.
3) King County disenfranchised some soldiers in Iraq who never received their ballot.
4) Poll workers fed many provisional ballots directly into counting machines, commingling them with legal ballots and circumventing the process of keeping them out of the count if they proved to be illegal.
5) Elections workers "enhanced" more than 55,000 ballots, but contrary to state law, they permanently obscured the original marks on many, preventing a review of their decisions.
6) There are 557 names in the Jan. 7 file for people who supposedly voted on Nov. 2, but who weren't listed in the Nov. 1 file. Only 94 of the 557 are in the Dec. 29 file. There are a number of pre-2004 registration dates among the 557, but many of these aren't in the June file. 280 of the 557 are shown to have registered on dates between Jun 7, 2004 and Oct. 2, 2004, yet did not appear in any of the earlier versions of the King County voter databases.
7) Seattle's Precinct 1823 counted 343 ballots, which is 71 more ballots than the 272 voters who cast them. This is the single largest discrepancy between ballots and voters in all of King County. Nearly all of the discrepancy is due to "provisional ballots".

Decertify your previous certification at once.

Stefan Sharkansky from http://www.soundpolitics.com/ has single handedly done the research your office should have done in the first place, and apparently hasn’t: sad to say. You ought to hire him to your office and get rid of a few on your staff who must be asleep at the wheel.

Here are a few things Stefan Sharkansky says you should have done, and haven’t:

1) Develop Rules to implement the Help America Vote Act of 2002. HAVA requires a computerized statewide voter registration list that is "uniform, official, and centralized" containing a record of every legally registered individual. If this database was created, it certainly wasn't used to scrub the illegal voters. Instead while felons voted from jail, soldiers were disenfranchised;

2) Protect the absolute secrecy of ballots. The State Constitution (Article 6, Section 6) requires "absolute secrecy" in the handling of ballots. Yet while Reed sat idly by, a King County judge gave over the names of over 400 voters whose signatures didn't match records to Democratic operatives. Those operatives solicited affidavits (and may have forged signatures). So much for absolute secrecy. Reed now proposes election reform that would preclude the handling of affidavits by 3rd parties.

3) Don't certify the results if counties are unable to reconcile their voter lists with ballots cast. State law requires the Secretary of State to "Certify to the legislature the election returns for all officers required by the Constitution . . ." RCW 43.10.030. Yet why did Reed rush to certify the results before King County could reconcile its voter list?

Among the more fundamental reforms we need, Stefan Sharkansky says you should have done, and haven’t:

1) documentation of identity and citizenship to register and vote.
2) strict controls against duplicate registrations
3) strict enforcement of registration at bona fide residence; documentation of residence required -- including (especially) for new absentee where the mailing address is in a different precinct (or state or country) from the residence address.
4) Immediate purge of the deceased from the voter rolls, using data from vital records.
5) requirement that ballot counts strictly reconcile with voter counts prior to certification. If counts don't reconcile within the margin of victory, the election is tossed.

Decertify your previous certification at once.

Regards.

Martin

/s/ 01/08/2005

Martin D. Ringhofer
Email address: martinringhofer@aol.com

Posted by: martin ringhofer on January 9, 2005 08:47 PM

27. Martin - Excellent letter - thanks so much for posting it. Entire dittos!

Posted by: CP on January 9, 2005 09:17 PM

28. I don't think that Sam Reed could legitimately decertify the election at this point (correct me if I am wrong). Nevertheless, a good idea to keep applying pressure in the form of emails to sreed@secstate.wa.gov

What I have done is email my Democrat legislative senate and house reps and enclose a copy of the TNT and King County Journal editorials and emphasized that fraud does not have to be proven for the election to be thrown like their Democrat colleagues have been saying. I would like to be there on Tuesday and I may if it can be worked out at my job - I do know a few others who will be there.

Good broadcast on the Toward Tradition show on 770 KTTH tonight by Brian and Stefan and hosted by Rabbi Lapin who will be speaking to newly inagurated State Supreme Court tomorrow and at the rally on Tuesday !

Posted by: KS on January 9, 2005 09:18 PM

29. BUSES TO OLYMPIA.........

for those of you needing rides to olympia from the silverdale/poulsbo area there are seats available on buses for $5.00 a seat. reservations asap.....please
contact....rhm@telebyte.net

hope to see everyone there!!!!!!

Posted by: christmasghost on January 9, 2005 09:35 PM

30. Rally parking for the fit or those working on getting fit:

The area around South Sound Shopping Center in Lacey always has plenty of parking. There is a trail from there to the Capital Campus - about three miles to three and a half miles. A nice way to work off the extra pounds of holiday celebration.

Posted by: Jericho on January 9, 2005 09:38 PM

31. Here is the letter I sent to Sam Reed's office.

Secretary Reed,

As a lifelong Washington resident and an active voter, I am extremely frustrated and disappointed with the "quality" of this gubernatorial election. The rules for a fair and honest election were not followed. They were perverted by the political machine in King county.

Mr. Reed, as the Secretary of State, you are supposed to certify that the election was held in accordance with established law. With reports now that King county has numerous dead people voting, convicted felons in King and Snohomish counties voting there is sufficient evidence to question the validity of this election. The most egregious issues are the improper handling of provisional ballots and the permanent defacement of ballots in King county. The defacement of the ballots were filmed on King 5 News and there are many eyewitness reports.

I am asking you, as a voter and tax payer to stand up and do what is right. I expected, that when I voted for you, you would honor your office and fulfill your responsibility with integrity.

Please decertify this election and call for a revote.

Sincerely,

Posted by: Shari Carnahan on January 10, 2005 12:30 AM

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