SOME MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR ELECTION PROTECTION ACTIVITIES
POLL WATCHING
Another important role a citizen can play during elections is that of a poll watcher. To do this, you must sign up with the political party with which you are registered, or with an issue committee whose issue is on the ballot.
As a poll watcher, you will be observing the election process directly, inside the polling place. This is different from being an election monitor who observes the process from outside. The training provided to poll watchers should include information on the relevant Colorado statutes and the Secretary of State's Rules for elections, as well as guidance on how to respond if these laws and rules are violated.
Signing up to poll watch
Political Parties: If you are registered with a political party, they may have contacted you about poll watching. If not, contact them.
The Democratic Party has a place on its website where you can sign up to be a poll watcher. See www.coloradodems.org/precinctpollwatcher.
For Republican Party poll watching, call 303-486-2008 or email Ryan@xxxxxxxxxxx.
For Libertarian Party poll watching, call 303-837-9393. (I left a message; no call back yet.)
For Green Party poll watching, call 303-789-3156; or email: tkelly733@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Ballot Issues: If you wish to become a poll watcher by representing sponsors of a ballot issue, go to the Secretary of State's website. See www.elections.colorado.gov/WWW/default/Initiatives/2008_ballot_initiatives_contact_list.2008. There you will find contact numbers for the issues. We have not explored this possibility further. Good luck!
Trainings for Poll Watchers
To find out if there are training sessions for your party, follow the same instructions as for signing up to poll watch.
The Democratic Party lists upcoming training sessions on their website. As of Monday, October 27th, future trainings were listed in eight counties: Denver, Boulder, El Paso, Garfield, La Plata, Larimer, Montrose and Pueblo. The trainings are scheduled sometime between Tuesday, Oct.28th at 6:30 PM (in Pueblo County) and Saturday, Nov.1st at 4 PM (in Denver County).
We doubt there are training sessions for ballot issues; you may wish to ask your party about training you.
Other Resources for Poll Watchers
Particularly if your party doesn't have training sessions available, it is helpful to check out the site BlackBoxVoting.org. They have the Tool Kit 2008 with advice on things to look for. They also have made a video with information.
VIDEO THE VOTE
If you have a video camera and wish to try to catch interesting election action, go to VideotheVote.org to see what they offer --- like getting your footage out to the mainstream media and YouTube. You won't be allowed to video inside a polling place unless you have press credentials, but there may be opportunities to catch people coming out of polling places and ask them questions, video long lines, etc. To quote from the VideotheVote.org site:
"Sign up to Video the Vote and join a growing network of Americans working together to monitor and improve our election systems. We are concerned citizens, amateur videographers, voting rights activists, and filmmakers united by a commitment to strengthening democracy through citizen oversight. And we need your help:
Sign up above to help ensure that the full story of Election Day gets told. And once you do, please spread the word."
More information on VideotheVote.org meeting/training in Colorado may be forthcoming, but sign up with them in the meantime.