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The MDERC / (Best Of and Recent) News:
 MIAMI
DADE ELECTION REFORM COALITION
2008 POLLWORKER
PROJECTS
Be a Hero for
Democracy
Miami
Dade County is moving to a new optical scan voting system. This is an exciting
time, but change can be a difficult for everyone. Help your fellow voters during
this transition by signing up to work in a community precinct on upcoming
election days - Usually in your own neighborhood.
Click for details in:
English
-
Spanish -
Creole
Get
involved - Become a Poll Worker in Miami-Dade Elections. Click
here for details and click
here for a
copy of the Application to become a Poll Worker.
Business Poll Worker Lottery
Because businesses employ a wealth of qualified,
motivated individuals who are used to dealing with complex directions and to
communicating with the diverse members of our South Florida community, our “Business
Poll Worker Lottery” Project is looking to tap into the businesses in our
area to make sure our elections run smoothly. Click
here for
details.
Disaster
looms again on Election Day in Florida (Read)
BY ALEXANDRA WAYLAND and LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF
Final MDERC Report: Poll Closing
Observation and Beyond
TOWARD CREATING A REPLICABLE MODEL
FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND RESEARCH
IN THE AREA OF VOTING SYSTEM REFORM (Read)
Exhibits:
MDERC: Early Voting Worksheet (Read)
- Election Day Poll Closing Worksheet (Read)
Invitation 2006 Poll Closing Observation Project (Read)
- Poll Observation Outreach Form (Read)
Poll Observation Signup Sheet (Read)
- Report Election 2004 (Read)
Letter to John Mendez (Read)
- Letter to Lester Sola (Read)
Verified Voting: Observer Worksheet (Read)
- Early Voting and Ballot Counting (Read)
Diverse:
Poll Closing Observation Why's, How's and What's (Read)
- Polling Place Procedures Florida (Read)
The Miami-Dade Election Reform
Coalition is delighted that the work of two of its long-standing
members will be honored at the 19th Annual In the Company of Women Awards
Ceremony on Wednesday, March 7, 2007. Martha Mahoney and Barbara Schwartz
are both honorees this year.
These awards recognize “outstanding women who have made significant
contributions to the quality of life for the Miami-Dade County community.” The
Miami-Dade County Commission for Women, Mayor Alvarez and the Board of County
Commissioners certainly knew what they were doing when they made both Marnie and
Barbara honorees this year! (Read
more)
Invitation
MDERC 2007 Position Paper on
Florida Voting Systems was published 01/19 (Read)
Press Release MDERC 2007 Florida
Legislative Campaign (Read)
Please note that in order to fully understand the press release, it is necessary
to read the MDERC position paper:
MDERC 2007 Position Paper on Florida Voting Systems (Read)
Provisional Ballot Survey
Elections 2006 (Read).
Please fill in and submit to:
swayland@mindspring.com Thanks to all of you for your
participation!
Frontpage Article "Electile
Dysfuncion" was published Oct. 31 in the MiamiSunPost
MDERC prominently featured! (Read)
MDERC'S
Nov. 2006 Poll Closing
Observation Forms and Materials
- everything you need to know before
you go to observe and everything you need to take with you! Haven't
signed up to observe yet? What are you waiting for?
Training Schedule Flyer
Contact Bonnie
Daniels at 305-255-6455 or e-mail: lawrdans@bellsouth.net
Worried that you need a quick primer before you go? Contact Bonnie for
training details.
2006...580.pdf = Poll
Closing Observation Project - The Why's, How's and What's
2006...013.pdf = F.S.
101.5614 - Voting Methods and Procedure - Canvass of returns (this is
the law that allows the public to observe the counting of the votes)
2006...281.pdf = F.S.
104.29 - Election Code: Violations; Penalties - Inspectors refusing to
allow watchers while ballots are counted (this is the law that says it
is a crime to prevent the public from observing the counting of the
votes)
2006...064.pdf =
08/07/06 Letter to Wayland, MDERC from Sola, Supervisor of Elections
(the first paragraph of the letter tells observers what information
they are allowed to gather)
2006...426.pdf =
11/7/06 Poll Closing Observation Forms (use this if you are observing
on Election Day)
2006...184.pdf = Nov.
2006 Early Voting Worksheet form (use this if you are observing Early
Voting)
Voting Integrity Alliance of Tampa
Bay Florida (viatampabay.org)
Materials:
If you are working on the Poll Closing Project in Pinellas County,
Contact Pam Haengel at 727-821-1116 or 727-244-9064, or e-mail:
VIATampaBay@aol.com
(Download all
materials)
Worried that you need a quick primer before you go? Contact Pam for
training details.
PinellasPCOPDataCollForm.pdf = Nov. 2006 Early Voting Worksheet
form for Pinellas County observers (use this if you are observing
Early Voting)
PinellasPCOPWhys&Hows.pdf = Pinellas Poll Closing Observation
Project - "The Why's, How's and What's"
PinellasPCOP1015614FS.pdf
= F.S. 101.5614 - Voting Methods and Procedure - Canvass of returns
(this is the law that allows the public to observe the counting of the
votes)
PinellasPCOP10429FS.pdf
= F.S. 104.29 - Election Code: Violations; Penalties - Inspectors
refusing to allow watchers while ballots are counted (this is the law
that says it is a crime to prevent the public from observing the
counting of the votes)
PinellasPCOPThings.pdf
= "Things to Bring & Things to Know" - a checklist of information and
reminders for observers in Pinellas County
PinellasPCOPSchedSheet.pdf = Dates & Times of voting in Pinellas
County, dates & location you are signed up for, buddy info, etc.
Transcript
from the Florida 2006 HAVA Planning Committee
Meeting held on October 12, 2006 in Miami,
Florida. (Read)
The MDERC report on the 2004
election, GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, exposed serious election problems
including electronic ballot stuffing. The report can be found here (Read)
and its appendices, which include results tapes and other election documents
from 2004, can be found here (Read).
The report was cited five times
in the General Accountability Office's 2005 report on efforts to improve
the security and reliability of electronic voting.
(Read)
Volunteer
for the 2006 Poll Closing Observation Project!
The ultimate purpose of the project is to engage every-day citizens across the
country in learning about and being part of monitoring poll closings. These
citizens can become an integral part of the process of election reform. In
addition, the project aims to uncover and accurately report on basic flaws and
failures in the systems of vote tabulation and ballot counting so as to serve as
a resource for others. (Read
more)
MDERC Volunteer Form
Tampa Flyer
Please contact Bonnie Daniels at 305-255-6455 (in
charge of recruitment)
Training sessions, which should last no more than
one hour, will be held:
Wed., Oct. 18, 6:30 p.m., 4500 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 340
Thur., Oct. 19, 7 p.m., South Dade Regional Library, 10750 SW 211 St.
Wed., Nov. 1, 6:30 p.m. 4500 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 340
(We are looking into the possibility of scheduling one more session in the south
after Nov. 1).
Please note: If you have volunteered to observe during Early Voting, you need to
attend either the Oct. 18 or Oct. 19 training, as Early Voting starts on Mon.
Oct. 23. If you cannot attend, contact Bonnie Daniels, Lawrdans@Bellsouth.net or
305-255-6455.
OCTOBER 12, 2006, MIAMI, FLORIDA
Please note that the next HAVA State Planning Committee Meeting will
take place on October 12, 2006 in Miami. As you will note from the
attached draft agenda, there is time for public testimony.
Agenda
Posted
on Wed, Jun. 28, 2006
VOTING MACHINES
Critic: Paper vote records vital
A California computer expert discussed with two local groups the importance of
having a paper record attached to electronic voting machines.
(Read)
BY EVAN S. BENN
ebenn@MiamiHerald.com
Advocates push for
voting rights renewal as lawsuit resumes
By
BILL KACZOR
Associated Press Writer
Civil rights activists urged Friday that parts of the Federal Voting Rights Act
be renewed, as labor unions amended their lawsuit accusing the state of
violating another section of law by using confusing voter registration forms. (Read)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Contact: Sandy Wayland
Cell: 305-297-9921
Email:
swayland@mindspring.com
MIAMI-DADE ELECTION REFORM COALITION CALLS ON
ATTORNEY GENERAL CHARLIE CRIST
TO INVESTIGATE VOTING SYSTEM VENDORS IN FLORIDA (Read)
Tell Attorney General,
Charlie Crist, That You Are the Consumer
AND THAT HE MUST INVESTIGATE VOTING SYSTEM VENDORS (Read)
“Election
Reform and Voter ID:
Access & Integrity”
As states work to improve their election systems under the Help America Vote
Act, controversy over voter identification requirements has come to the
forefront of debates on election reform. That controversy is likely to continue
if not intensify in the months leading up to November's elections. Based on the
Carter-Baker Commission's proposals on voter ID, Robert Pastor and Spencer
Overton will offer alternative perspectives on where we should go from here.
Join leading experts for a discussion on voter ID and other critical election
reform topics.
óóó
Tuesday, February 21st
6:00 - 8:00 pm
National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20045
óóó
John Fortier,
American Enterprise Institute for Public
Policy Research, is a principal contributor to the new
AEI/Brookings Election Reform Project.
http://www.electionreformproject.org/AboutUs
Robert Pastor, executive director of the
Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election
Reform and director of the Center
for Democracy and Election Management at American University. http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer
Professor Spencer Overton,
George Washington University Law School,
specializes in voting rights and campaign finance law. Professor Overton was
also a commissioner on the Carter-James Baker
Commission on Federal Election Reform.
http://www.carterbakerdissent.com
Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, chair of the
Miami -Dade Election Reform Coalition
www.reformcoalition.org, director of the
Advancement Project's Right to Vote Initiative
and Board Member of Verified Voting.
www.verifiedvoting.org
***Please RSVP to Bobbie Brinegar
at
bobbie@verifiedvoting.org
.
ACCURATE (Center for Correct,
Usable, Reliable, Auditable, and Transparent Elections) public comments on
the 2005 Voluntary Voting Systems Guidelines. (Read)
MDERC
Comments to the United States Election Assistance Commission regarding their
proposed Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) – Sept 2005 (Read)
A new MDERC study finds that the
Florida election law passed in 2005 will put Black and Hispanic voters in a
worse position than they were in under the previous laws. Read our letter to the
Department of Justice, commenting (Read)
on their review of the Florida legislation.
MDERC Statement
for the United States Senate / Committee on Rules and Administration
Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, Chair, Miami-Dade
Election Reform Coalition
Bobbie Brinegar, D.C. Director, Miami- Dade Election Reform Coalition
Thank you for
the opportunity to submit material for the record on this critically important
topic. Few tasks in a democracy are as important as ensuring public confidence
in the outcome of elections. (Read)
 
2005
Sunshine State Journalism Award:
Matthew Haggman; Daily Business Review;
..inspired by the MDERC,
article
"Count Crisis" wins 2 awards for an article for best
Investigative Reporting and best Governmental/Political Reporting.
 MDERC
going to DC!
Our board members Martha Mahoney and Bobbie Brinegar
attended a
Election Verification Project Meeting,
Washington, DC, November 17, 2004. Bobbie Brinegar moved to DC to represent the
MDERC at the White House.
Chair of the Miami-Dade Reform Coalition named best
Lawyer at Miami New Times award:
Read
 From
miaminewtimes.com
Originally published
by Miami New Times May 13, 2004
©2004 New Times, Inc.
All rights reserved.
BEST LAWYER:
Lida Rodriguez-Taseff
-->The Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition on BBC news:
Look on the right side under, "Programmes"
Click, "Open more audio/video
news"
At the bottom of the window that
opens, titles of stories sequence. When "'No vote' for Florida
convicts" comes up, click on it.
Here is
a possible caption:
View
April 23, 2004 news report by Daniel Lak, reporter for the BBC, titled:
"'No
vote' for Florida convicts"
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