The Whole World is Watching: Video the Vote

Nov 03, 2006 - 07:42 PM | by support

The whole world really will be able to watch the upcoming election as it plays out at the polling place level. On video. On the Internet.

Video the Vote is organizing citizen journalists to document what happens at polling places in every state. The project is a classic example of using the Internet to put the distributed power of thousands of citizens to work to document how America votes: the long lines, the Republicans’ racist challenges, the disputes over voting machines switching votes from one party to another, and on and on. You name it, and this time, there’s a good chance there’ll be at least one citizen journalist there to record it all on video.

Three independent videographers created Video the Vote: Ian Inaba of the Guerrilla News Network, John Ennis of Shoot First, and James Rucker of ColorOfChange.org. Here’s how the Video the Vote website describes the evolution of this project, which has acquired some large partners as election day approaches:

The three [Inaba, Ennis, and Rucker] originally sought to provide a platform to help independent filmmakers coordinate their efforts on election day—documenting election problems and pushing those stories into the mainstream media. The idea morphed into a populist program where ordinary people could participate. They’d simply agree to be on-call to document any Election Day problems that arise in their area; the only requirements being, a digital video recorder, a cell phone, and broadband Internet access, and agreeing to respect governing election law.

Since starting, several organizations have partnered with us to make Video the Vote a success, namely Common Cause, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The League of Young Voters Education Fund, People for the American Way Foundation, and Rock the Vote.

If you’ve got a video camera, you can sign up and bring voting problems to light as they occur, on video that will seen around the world on Video the Vote. (And don’t forget to consult the rules and regulations for your state that govern the use of video in polling places before you hit the On button. See the VTV site for more info.)

25 Comments

New comments for this entry are closed.

Just wanted John Kerry to know that here’s one American and her family who believe in him and that he would never do anything to disparage our service people.

Posted by Catherine Smith | 11/03/06, 07:30 PM EST

It is a good idea, but it wont happen in the Il-6 district (Duckworth’s race). Our county election commission wont let people do it:

DuPage commission to ban recording devices at polls

SNIP

“I am aware that there is a grassroots movement from individuals to go into polling places with video cameras and other electronic devices and record the process,” Saar said.
In the Citizen’s Tool Kit portion of the Web site http://www.blackboxvoting.org, a chapter advises activists to use such devices to monitor the voting process. Commission members voiced concerns, saying such actions are disruptive and violate voters’ privacy.
“I could care less about them coming in and taping something we’re doing,” Commission Secretary Charlotte Mushow said. “I really worry about the person that has come to vote. People have that suspicion: Is my vote secret?”
While people won’t be searched, if they are found with one of these devices, they will not be able to use it, Saar said. Exceptions will be allowed for the media, he said.

There’s more.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/122342,6_1_NA03_ELECT_S1.article

Posted by oncall | 11/03/06, 07:39 PM EST

Our moderators are taking a well-deserved rest for the night. Any comments that you post will be held until early Saturday morning, when our moderators come back on,

Please leave your thoughts about what people are doing around the country to avoid the problems of 2000, 2002, and 2004.

Posted by Richard Bell | 11/03/06, 08:12 PM EST

The big late night (or early morning) news appears to be that the Military Times Media Group will have an OP/ED on all their papers on Monday calling for Rumsfeld to go - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4641

This won’t sit to well for the embattled Republicans. And Cheney is scheduled to go on the defensive on This Week on Sunday including taking a another swipe at JK.

Tuesday can not get here fast enough.

Posted by Pamela Leavey | 11/03/06, 10:19 PM EST

I can see why protecting the privacy of individual voters is a valid and important consideration, oncall. History has shown us over and over again how crucial it is to the democratic process that the choices made by individual voters be kept confidential.

On the other paw, all of us here are aware of the very real dangers of deliberate election fraud being perpetrated at the polls next week. And nowhere is this more likely to be the case than in northern Illinois, where political corruption is a long-established family tradition and machine politics are still the order of the day.

Duckworth herself is a particular target of the well-oiled ward heels who continue to run things along old-school lines in her district. As this Daily Herald article points out, the Greedy Old Party politicos who lie through their teeth about their alleged support of our brave troops currently fighting their failed foreign wars of aggression are still using their same-old same-old dirty tricks against Ms. Duckworth in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District:

Democratic congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth gave both legs in sacrifice to her country, but that apparently wasn’t what it takes for the Veterans of Foreign Wars to endorse her.

Instead, the national VFW relied on the word of former Republican state Sen. Ray Soden of Wood Dale to back Republican Peter Roskam in the down-to-the-wire 6th Congressional District contest.

Roskam billed the endorsement as a “great boost” to his campaign in the final days, but admitted he sat on the endorsement until a few days before Tuesday’s election to have “the biggest possible influence.”

World War II veteran Joe Buttice of Wood Dale was unable to explain much about the endorsement other than to say Roskam “supports a strong defense for our country but also he took care of our local veterans at the same time.”

Duckworth, who lost her legs when her helicopter was shot down over Iraq, said she never had a chance to apply for the endorsement and called it “sad and regrettable.” One suburban veteran and Duckworth supporter called it “despicable.”

“To be shunned by this organization is beyond my scope,” said Mike McConnell, a Vietnam veteran from Winfield who said he received the Purple Heart.

[snip]

Roskam also said he doesn’t fear a backlash among 6th District voters over how the endorsement was arrived at.

On a conference call to promote Duckworth Friday, a Democratic group named VoteVets.org presented war hero and former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, who blasted the VFW endorsement.

“If any national veterans group does not endorse Tammy Duckworth, they should be ashamed of themselves,” Kerrey said. “They have some explaining to do to their membership because Tammy will be a leading voice in the U.S. Congress for veterans.”

tuesday’s right around the corner—vote smart vote true vote blue,
Otter

Posted by Otter | 11/04/06, 04:33 AM EST

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn/detail?blogid=16&entry_id=10582

Time for Rumsfeld to go

“So long as our government requires the backing of an aroused and informed public opinion ... it is necessary to tell the hard bruising truth.”

That statement was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Marguerite Higgins more than a half-century ago during the Korean War.

But until recently, the “hard bruising” truth about the Iraq war has been difficult to come by from leaders in Washington. One rosy reassurance after another has been handed down by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: “mission accomplished,” the insurgency is “in its last throes,” and “back off,” we know what we’re doing, are a few choice examples.

Military leaders generally toed the line, although a few retired generals eventually spoke out from the safety of the sidelines, inciting criticism equally from anti-war types, who thought they should have spoken out while still in uniform, and pro-war foes, who thought the generals should have kept their critiques behind closed doors.

snip

Last week, someone leaked to The New York Times a Central Command briefing slide showing an assessment that the civil conflict in Iraq now borders on “critical” and has been sliding toward “chaos” for most of the past year. The strategy in Iraq has been to train an Iraqi army and police force that could gradually take over for U.S. troops in providing for the security of their new government and their nation.

But despite the best efforts of American trainers, the problem of molding a viciously sectarian population into anything resembling a force for national unity has become a losing proposition.

For two years, American sergeants, captains and majors training the Iraqis have told their bosses that Iraqi troops have no sense of national identity, are only in it for the money, don’t show up for duty and cannot sustain themselves.

Meanwhile, colonels and generals have asked their bosses for more troops. Service chiefs have asked for more money.

And all along, Rumsfeld has assured us that things are well in hand.

Now, the president says he’ll stick with Rumsfeld for the balance of his term in the White House.

It’s way past time for Rumsfeld to go.

Be prepared for Republicans to claim after Democrats take office that Iraq is in a Civil War. They’ve been denying this for years. However, they’ll view it as a perfect time to pass the buck and they’d love to blame the Democrats for the problems in Iraq.

They’d like to pass the buck. However, those on the ground in Iraq and those who look past the Republican spin machine already know that Iraq is already a civil war.

One solution Democrats must do is fix our broken government and fix our broken media. They must tell the truth. And they must take care of righting the wrongs of this administration. To do this, then they must stand united and stop mincing words.

We need to take care of Americans. We need to end the reign of the war-profitteers, and we need to make Iraq stand up so we can sit down as originally promised. We also need global unity and true diplomacy. Unless George Bush is finally willing to listen to people outside his own support group, then he will remain the “ultimate decider” and will continue to be the “ultimate destroyer.”

Posted by Tia | 11/04/06, 05:17 AM EST

Thsi is a great ad from DNC.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x2697

Posted by Tia | 11/04/06, 05:44 AM EST

Great Idea, Finally more and more people are understanding the power of technology and how to apply it.

Posted by Political Grind | 11/04/06, 06:26 AM EST

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday Japan should not bother to attend six-country nuclear talks because Tokyo is refusing to recognise the reclusive communist country as a nuclear weapons state.

“There is no need for Japan to participate in (the talks) as a local delegate because it is no more than a state of the U.S. and it is enough for Tokyo just to be informed of the results of the talks by Washington,” North Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Japan’s refusal to accept the North as a nuclear weapons state when the talks resume later this year proved they were “political imbeciles incapable of judging the trend of the situation”, said the statement carried by the North’s official Korea Central News Agency.

North Korea agreed on Tuesday to return to the talks involving the two Koreas, Japan, China, Russia and the United States after snubbing them for a year in protest over a U.S. crackdown on its international finances.

http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/North_Korea_says_Japan_not_welcome_at_nuclear_talks.html?siteSect=143&sid=7224714&cKey=1162628627000

Posted by Susan Elizabeth | 11/04/06, 06:27 AM EST

#10

Some reality in the press. The soldier survived this attack.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/11/04/nytfrontpage/scan.jpg

Posted by Susan Elizabeth | 11/04/06, 06:30 AM EST

#11

Bush is having to defend the Western Terrotory against the Blue Tidal Wave.

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/index.html

This means that the Republican funds are tied up in regions that they use to consider a ‘shoe in’ and instead are now considered up for grabs.

Posted by Susan Elizabeth | 11/04/06, 06:34 AM EST

#12

Posted by Otter | November 4, 2006 9:33 AM

Otter, I saw that article. I think it’s awful that politics and cronyism cheated out a true veteran of foreign wars.

This is substantial and I hope Tammy is getting lots of empathy and more votes as a result.

Posted by Tia | 11/04/06, 06:36 AM EST

#13

Check out this information at votevets.org

http://www.votevets.org/

Factual, intense, and heartfelt. I think it really speaks to people quite well.

Posted by Tia | 11/04/06, 06:43 AM EST

#14

Posted by Tia | November 4, 2006 11:43 AM

I just discovered this recent poll there.

“The results of this poll should be a wake up call to every American. We are shortchanging our troops - in combat and at home,” said Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran, Co-Founder and Chairman of VoteVets.org Action Fund. “I am proud of my service in Iraq, but my job was made more difficult by the real life-or-death challenges I faced when it came to equipment and supplies that were inadequate or not fully operational. Our leaders should pay careful attention to the experiences of my peers - the first batch of 21st century veterans to have served in an all volunteer army - because they are telling us that problems exist. Today’s military can only be successful if we have the support and resources necessary to fulfill our duties.”

Key Findings

Veterans faced real challenges with equipment and supplies while in Iraq or Afghanistan.

http://www.votevets.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=177&Itemid=64

Looks like another case of John Kerry was right in 2004.

Posted by Susan Elizabeth | 11/04/06, 06:48 AM EST

#15

George Bush’s Plans to Harm America
Conservatives are so quick to claim their misinterpretation of Kerry’s statement last week is the correct one, and ignore the fact that Kerry was making a joke about George Bush, not the troops. By this standard we should be able to take comments from George Bush literally and assume they represent exactly what Bush believes. Here’s some examples:
George Bush admits to be working to harm our country and people:
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”

—At signing of defense appropriations bill, August 5, 2004
George Bush wanted to disarm America if Saddam didn’t disarm:

“I was proud the other day when both Republicans and Democrats stood with me in the Rose Garden to announce their support for a clear statement of purpose: you disarm, or we will.”—Speaking about Saddam Hussein, Manchester, N.H., Oct. 5, 2002
George Bush’s energy policy:
“We need an energy bill that encourages consumption.”—Trenton, N.J., Sept. 23, 2002
Under George Bush there will never be peace in the Middle East:
“My administration has been calling upon all the leaders in the—in the Middle East to do everything they can to stop the violence, to tell the different parties involved that peace will never happen.”—Crawford, Texas, Aug, 13, 2001
At least there’s the possibility of peace somewhere:
“I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.”—Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000
There’s no separation of church and state to George Bush:
“I appreciate that question because I, in the state of Texas, had heard a lot of discussion about a faith-based initiative eroding the important bridge between church and state.”—Question and answer session with the press, Jan. 29, 2001
George Bush thinks the executive branch is the judiciary:
“The legislature’s job is to write law. It’s the executive branch’s job to interpret law.”—Austin, Texas, Nov. 22, 2000
But who says Bush doesn’t learn new things—such as to execute legislators:
“I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them.”—Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2000
More at Liberal Values

Posted by Ron Chusid | 11/04/06, 07:34 AM EST

#16

If Rove and Bush thought the verdict in the Saddaam trial would help them on Tuesday, they may be wrong.

As of Friday, the Iraqis are expecting an upswing of violence. It’s also important to note that during this month alone, more than 104 Americans have been killed, one soldier is missing and held hostage, and the Iraqis Prime Minister has shut down the American run check-points.

Iraq is a nightmare and the verdict isn’t going to make a difference to Americans who are suffering from this administration’s incompetence.

(Rant done)

Iraq canceled leave Friday for all military officers two days before an expected verdict - and possible death sentence - in the trial of Saddam Hussein. For the second time this week, a top Bush administration official huddled with the Iraqi prime minister. Many of Saddam’s fellow Sunni Arabs, along with some Shiites and Kurds, are predicting a firestorm of violence if the court sentences the ex-president to death, as is widely expected. Bloodshed is already high, with police finding the bodies of 83 torture victims throughout the capital between 6 a.m. Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday….

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6190379,00.html

Posted by Susan Elizabeth | 11/04/06, 07:35 AM EST

#17

Good news! The RW smear had the opposite effect:

A new NEWSWEEK poll shows that the GOP has lost more ground. Will rallying the base stem a Democratic tide?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15557264/site/newsweek

Posted by ProSense | 11/04/06, 07:58 AM EST

#18

Otter,

The local members of the VFW are royally pissed off. Hopefully with the money that the DCCC sent to Duckworth’s campaign, they can get out a mailer or T.V. ad with her surrounded by local vets showing their support and contrast that to the slimy Republican DuPage County politics way of doing things.

Posted by oncall | 11/04/06, 08:16 AM EST

#19

Thank you Bill Maher!

Democratic messages:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x2919

Posted by Tia | 11/04/06, 08:35 AM EST

#20

Posted by ProSense | November 4, 2006 12:58 PM

We wouldn’t be seeing numbers like this if John Kerry hadn’t ***** slapped Tony Snow and the thugs.

Posted by oncall | 11/04/06, 08:45 AM EST

#21

Posted by oncall | November 4, 2006 1:45 PM

You got that right. Those Dems that were so quick to join in the swift boating of John Kerry owe him a BIG apology.

Thank you John Kerry for speaking TRUTH to power, and thank you for being a real Democrat, you are the heart of our party, and you make me proud to be a Democrat.

Posted by fedup | 11/04/06, 09:29 AM EST

#22

Is e-voting ready for prime time?

http://tech.msn.com/security/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1191489&GT1=8808

Excuse me for pointing out the obviious, but if it wasn’t ready for prime time in 2002 then why did we use it? If it wasn’t ready for prime time in 2004, then why did we use it?

HAVA and the Republican party have been a disaster for a fair election. The chairpeople for HAVA were not even sworn in until 9 months before the election in 04. Yet they rolled out the old and brought in the secret codes, hidden back doors, etc… Even the Former-Republican chair of the HAVA committee said that e-voting was questionable and that our democracy is endangered.

E-voting is not the answer.

Posted by Tia | 11/04/06, 09:40 AM EST

#23

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e07uIcQMFlE&eurl;=

I am outraged by this. He doesn’t care about the troops, He never cared about the troops. He never stood up for what was right…...I want that up tight snob to apologize immediately…...blah, blah, blah, blah.

Posted by oncall | 11/04/06, 12:25 PM EST

#24

Ahem. I’ll just post this with no comment.

Via Andrew Sullivan, this person sent him an e-mail:

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/11/vive_la_resista_1.html

I am a moderate living in Colorado Springs. The main thing that bothers me about those on the far right is their hypocrisy, with Ann Coulter and Ted Haggard being the latest two examples. Another comes to mind here locally as well: ads for the local Republican candidate for the House that classify his opponent (a retired lieutenant colonel by the way) as a liberal, yet the administration that he is supporting has run up the greatest debt in our history.

I drive my kids and two of their friends to school in the morning and yesterday I was originally not supposed to pick my daughter’s friend up as she was to greet her father returning from Iraq. She called and told us she needed a ride as they had evidently received a call that her dad would not be coming home yet, and we did not question as we were hoping nothing happened to him. Today I believe that I saw the reason why. Mr. Cheney will be here for a campaign stop this weekend part of which will be to greet the troops as they return.

So their reunion should be delayed for political purposes.

Posted by beachmom | 11/04/06, 02:24 PM EST

#25

Point of info on the video taping. Anything that is going on outside the actual voting area should be free to video. So if there are some of the private police impersonators hanging around to discourage people of color from voting, it can be video taped and used for prosecution. Even still photos with two witnesses confirming the comments will give plenty of evidence to work from.

Anything else that is going on outside - the length of lines and how long people are having to wait can be documented. If someone has to leave and wants to leave a comment, eg. Have to pick up kids by a certain time and won’t be able to get back before the polls close, would have voted for…. would help give an idea of how many had to leave, why, and how it might have affected the vote.

Some of this may not specifically help outcomes in this election. It could give more power to election changes that are effective.

Another issue: my county has a shortage of election judges and apparently this has occured quite a bit around the country. I suspect the new electronic machines and associated complexity of carrying out the supervision of voters has caused a high number of older election judges to quit.

It is too late to add judges but you could check in with your county/city and see if there is anything you can do to help - get supplies to precincts running out, take water or food to the busiest. Lawn chairs to those that have long lines…

Beachmom,

Stupid tricks like that are really creating some issues with active military and places like Colorado Springs where a lot of retired military live. Anchorage is seeing the same thing. One of their battalions had been slated to return - some already had- when they were redeployed to Baghdad due to the fighting there. Some of the officers who had already returned were sent back.

The GOP will have a tough time keeping the Iraq/Afghan vets in their base. No matter what the Dem leaders think of Kerry’s chances in ‘08, I think his record and the GOP smear crap will come through to help, not hurt.

Posted by Ginny in CO | 11/04/06, 03:46 PM EST