Ecological Wisdom * Social Justice * Grassroots Democracy * Non-Violence
>> Green Party of Michigan <<
http://www.migreens.org
>>> ---------------- <<<
>>> News Release <<<
>>> ---------------- <<<
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
---------------------
July 21, 2003
For More Information Contact:
----------------------------
Marc Reichardt -- Party Chair, GPMI
phone: 734-668-9628
e-mail: chair@migreens.org
John Anthony La Pietra -- Elections Coördinator, GPMI
e-mail: jalp@internet1.net
>>> Greens Keep Busy as Election-Plan Comment Period Extended <<<
>>> ========================================================= <<<
>> Groups Across State Building Support <<
>> for Changes in Draft HAVA Plan <<
> <
> NAACP Leader to Speak at Green House Wednesday <
> in "IRV Strategy Session" on How to Achieve <
> Advanced Voting Methods, Fairer Election Process <
The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) is renewing its efforts to build
support for accommodating instant-runoff voting (IRV) and other needed
improvements in the state's implementation plan for the Federal "Help
America Vote Act" (HAVA), now that the public-comment period will run
until July 31.
GPMI welcomes the announcement last Thursday -- the original
deadline -- that the Bureau of Elections will accept two weeks' more
comments before submitting a draft HAVA plan to Washington.
But Greens across the state haven't stopped working on the issue.
Tom Mair copied the draft plan from the Web:
http://www.michigan.gov/hava
and presented it to last month's meeting of the Traverse Bay Watershed
Greens local. "We've also contacted local officials" on the issue,
he said.
Tom Ness of the independent Green House and M-FORE (Michigan Focus
on Reforming Elections) is moving ahead to help activists like Mair
create local groups to push for IRV in cities and villages across the
state. He's also helped encourage hundreds of letter-writers to con-
tact the Secretary of State's HAVA Plan Advisory Committee. He notes
cynically that all those letters haven't gotten IRV in the plan yet,
but adds: "Maybe yours will be the one which breaks the camel's back!"
On Wednesday, advisory committee member Simone Lightfoot, chair of
the Michigan State Conference of NAACP Political Action Committee, will
speak at the Green House in Ferndale as part of an "IRV strategy
session". Requiring that all new voting equipment be able to handle
IRV and other advanced voting methods is one of NAACP's recommendations
for improving the state's HAVA plan -- along with many other reforms
for fairer, easier, more effective registration, voter education, and
voting.
GPMI Elections Coördinator John Anthony La Pietra agrees with
the local strategy. "Home rule cities and villages have the right
in Michigan law to use preferential balloting. And voting-equipment
vendors admitted publicly to the HAVA committee that IRV can be
implemented at little or no added cost -- especially on new machines.
So there's no good reason to ignore the people's desire for a better
way to express their preferences for policies and politicians, and
get more of what they want."
La Pietra, of Marshall, gave a copy of the plan to the Marshall
District Library. He will discuss the issue at next Monday's meeting
of Voices of Peace 7pm at Battle Creek 1st United Methodist Church.
To contact the Green House (Suite 210; 22757 Woodward at 9 Mile
Road; Ferndale), call 248-336-9241 or visit:
http://www.greenhouseonline.org
For a nonpartisan explanation of IRV, contact the Center for Voting
and Democracy at:
http://www.fairvote.org
For more information on Michigan Greens' positions on IRV, voters'
rights, and other reforms, visit the Web site at:
http://www.migreens.org
# # #
Green Party of Michigan * 548 S. Main Street *
* Ann Arbor, MI 48104 * 734-663-3555
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Green Party of Michigan was formed in 1987 to address environmental
issues in Michigan politics. There are Greens organized in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia. Each state Green Party sets its own goals
and creates its own structure, but US Greens agree on Ten Key Values:
Ecological Wisdom * Grassroots Democracy
Social Justice * Nonviolence
Community Economics * Decentralization
Feminism * Respect for Diversity
Personal and Global * Future Focus/
Responsibility Sustainability
created/distributed using donated labor
Other Contacts:
Green Party of Michigan
548 S Main St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-663-3555
info@migreens.org
posted to web 22 July 2003