Please join us for a special screening of the documentary film, Uncounted.
Monday, June 16th, 2008
7:00 p.m.
East Wing Rotunda of the Capitol Building
Harrisburg
No Admission Fee – Public Welcome
Watch the trailer:
Uncounted, by Emmy award winning director David Earnhardt is an explosive new documentary showing how the election fraud that changed the outcome of 2004 election led to greater fraud in 2006. With 51 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties using paperless electronic voting machines it is at particular risk in 2008. This controversial 80 minute film examines in factual, logical and yet startling terms how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the U.S. Beyond increasing public awareness about how votes are counted in America, Uncounted inspires greater citizen involvement in fixing a broken electoral system.
There will be a Q&A session after the film, featuring Marybeth Kuznik who appears in the film. (Sponsored by the Common Cause Education Fund, and VOTEPA.)
For more information, call 717-232-9951.
Redistricting Reform - Time to Act!
We are at a pivotal point for redistricting reform.
Government accountability is not possible without competitive elections, and the current redistricting process is designed to eliminate competition from most legislative elections. It also is used by legislative leaders as a tool to reward or punish rank-and-file lawmakers law based on their compliance with leadership’s directions.
* Better choices on election day;
* More government accountability to citizens after election day;
* Government with less political confrontation; and
* Lawmakers more likely to vote their conscience, because leadership can not threaten to redistrict them out of a job (something only voters should do).
The House and Senate State Government Committees will vote on this legislation by the first week of June. Then we will have a short time to get the leadership to schedule votes on these bills (HB-2420 and SB-346). If we do not succeed in passing this legislations before the summer recess, we will miss the opportunity to make these reforms effective for the 2011 redistricting, and will have to wait until 2021 for reforms to go into effect.
Election Protection Volunteers Needed in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania's April 22 primary election has our state right in the media bull's eye. Common Cause and other citizen organizations are helping to ensure that our elections come off with no embarrassing glitches. Election officials, Common Cause and other citizens groups across the state are gearing up to make sure that every citizen who is entitled to vote gets to do so, and that every vote is counted as cast.
We are working with our allies to put together election protection teams to observe voting sites. This effort will require hundreds of volunteers.
If you would like to serve on an election protection team, please contact:
in the Pittsburgh area: Celeste Taylor, People for the American Way at ctaylor@pfaw.org or (412) 670-0937.
in Philadelphia: Nina Bloch, Committee of Seventy at nbloch@seventy.org or (215) 557-3600.
Your work at the polls can help prevent voter intimidation and protect your fellow citizens' rights.
The statewide election-day voter protection phone number is 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). Please pass this number on to any fellow Pennsylvania voters so that they know who to call if there are problems at the polls on April 22.
March 28, 2008: Pennsylvanians deserve to have their voting rights protected in two fundamental ways. First, every citizen that wants to vote should be entitled to do so. Second, every vote should be counted exactly as the voter cast it.
Common Cause/PA is leading an effort to ensure that every vote is counted exactly as the voter intended, and that it can be recounted if necessary. Unfortunately, in 51 (of PA’s 67) counties that is not the case. Common Cause/PA has been calling on the Commonwealth to require Voter Verified Paper Ballots throughout the state to ensure voter’s rights to accurate vote counting is protected. We want to ensure voting machines are upgraded in our state before the November election.
To make a donation to support Common Cause/PA’s election reform efforts, please click here. Your donations are the backbone of our efforts and essential to our success. Thanks again.
• That big money and lobbyists really control the government?
You are not alone! Don't give up! Join us.
Common Cause has been working on those very issues, and a lot more, for over thirty years.
Help us restore open, honest, and accountable government.
We work for Pennsylvanians
Common Cause/Pennsylvania is a non-profit, non-partisan citizens' lobby organization. We believe that by banding together, citizens can make a difference. We throw a spotlight on issues that affect all Pennsylvanians. We work to strengthen public participation and to ensure that the political process serve the public interest, rather than the special interest.
Contact Common Cause/Pennsylvania Executive Director Barry Kauffman at ccpa@dejazzd.com or (717) 232-9951.
