Ice Cream Social Update and More

Written by: Stephen Schuck on Oct 19, 2006 6:35 PM EDT

Reminder: This Sunday, 22.Oct, is our last formal DfA-Bellingham campaign action before the election. We will be hosting, supporting, and providing labor for an "Ice Cream Social" fund raiser and meet/greet with Jesse Salomon for WA Senate from LD-42 at the Bellingham YWCA (on Forest one block south of the Co-op) from 3pm to 5pm. Four flavors of Mallard ice cream will be featured. The room will be available from 2pm for set-up, and until 6pm for clean-up, so please come, at least for the social, preferably to help before, during, and/or after. Zetta is working with Ellen (Jesse's campaign manager) to finalize the details, so contact Zetta (734-1487, zbracher@msn.com) to find out how you can help.

Democracy for Washington has endorsed Jesse. Thank you, Chad, and everyone who encouraged that outcome. DfA-National didn't react to our appeals for recognition of either Jesse or Jasper, although they have endorsed some four candidates from Washington state, including Darcy Burner.

Next meeting: Normal time and place - 7:00pm Wed.01.Nov at Boss Tweed. We now have 46 members, 45 and one whose e-mail bounces.

DfA-mster Roni Beall helped organize one of the largest County Auditor election observer training events a couple of days ago. Attendance was about half Democrat, half Republican. With the advent of vote-by-mail, there are no polls to watch, but there are plenty of other ways to participate. The ballots went out yesterday, so will be returning starting Monday. As they come in, each 100-200 ballots becomes a batch that stays together throughout the process.Then signature flaps are opened and the signatures checked against scanned signatures in the Auditor's computer. Another step then separates the ballots from the envelopes and makes sure that the ballot is machine readable and not invalidated by the voter. Several days before the election, the Washington Secretary of State verifies the counting machines. No counting occurs before election day. Counting occurs all election day, stopping at 8:00pm. Day-1 preliminary results are announced at about 8:30pm. Counting continues and updated preliminary results are announced each day thereafter. Meanwhile many details involving mis-marked ballots, bad or missing signatures, etc. must be resolved. All such details must be out of the way when the election is "certified" on 28.Nov. The auditor would like observers from each party to be present for all parts of this process. This is probably the most important activity in a Democracy, followed by campaigning for trustworthy Secretaries of State (watch Ohio) second, and then campaigning for the candidates of your choice. If you missed the opportunity this year, sign up for the next one. Thank you, Roni, for all of your great work.

Howard Dean's at it again: MeetUps, house parties, on-line newsletters, DfA etc., etc., have become staples of campaigns since the 2003 Howard Dean primary race. The newest invention is grass-roots donations matches. I don't contribute at the beginning. Rather, I pledge to contribute an amount of my choice only if they can find a first-time (this year) donor to match my pledge. I include my reasons for contributing with my pledge. My message, unsigned if I wish, is included with the solicitation to the first-time donor. If the donor contributes, he/she may include a note in response. I then receive the response and a request to fulfill my pledge. My donor was in Columbus, OH. If you have any spare $$ (what's that?), try it at www.demcorats.org/pledge.

IraqForSale: Recommended by DfA-National. See www.iraqforsale.org "screenings" for local events. This movie is being presented at house parties rather than theaters.

TAFN

Steve Schuck, "Organizer", DfA-Bellingham

Don't forget Citgo - Northwest at Birchwood, also in Ferndale

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Location: Bellingham, WA 98225