Election protection and reform organizations

This article lists election protection and reform organizations in the United States.

Advancement Project
Description: "Advancement Project is a democracy and justice action group. Using law, public policy and strategic communications, we act in partnership with local communities to advance universal opportunity, equity and access for those left behind in America."

Website: http://www.advancementproject.org

Contact information: Email: email: ap @ advancementproject.org
 * 730 M Street, NW #910
 * Washington, DC 20036
 * Phone: (202) 728-9557
 * Fax: (202) 728-9558

Advancement Project Resources

The Advancement Project's Just Vote '08 campaign.

American Bar Association
Description: "Election Protection (EP) is the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection coalition. It guides voters through the voting process, helping to ensure all eligible American citizens have the opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot and have that vote counted. While Election Protection is a resource for all Americans, the program focuses on traditionally disenfranchised communities, including: African Americans, Asian Pacific American, Latinos, Native Americans, and other racially and ethnically diverse communities; seniors; young people; low-income voters; and individuals with disabilities. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is the lead legal partner for Election Protection. The American Bar Association is a co-sponsor in 2008, as it was in 2004 and 2006."


 * Website: http://www.abanet.org/2008election/

Contact information:


 * American Bar Association
 * 321 N. Clark St.
 * Chicago, IL 60610
 * 312.988.5000

Staff:


 * Rachel Patrick - Director 312.988.5408 email: PatrickR @ staff.abanet.org


 * Deidra Franklin - Project Assistant 312.988.5409 email: dfranklin3 @ staff.abanet.org

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Voter Protection Unit (VPU)
Description: ADC is a grassroots civil rights organization which welcomes people of all backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities as members.


 * Website: http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=3366

Contact information:
 * ADC Voter Protection Unit
 * American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Website: www.adc.org
 * 1732 Wisconsin Ave., NW
 * Washington, DC 20007
 * Tel: 202-244-2990 Fax: 202-244-7968 |
 * Email: [mailto:vpu@adc.org vpu@adc.org]

Asian American Election Protection
Description: "In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote. In addition, candidates and the news media have often overlooked the Asian American vote.  In response, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund has monitored the elections for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, which mandates bilingual ballots and forbids anti-Asian voter discrimination, and conducted a non-partisan multilingual survey of voters to document Asian American voting patterns."

Website: http://www.aaldef.org/vote2008/

Contact information:
 * Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
 * 99 Hudson Street, 12th Floor
 * New York, NY 10013


 * Tel: 800-966-5946


 * [mailto:info@aaldef.org info@aaldef.org]

Black Box Voting
Description: "We are the official consumer protection group for elections."

Contact information:
 * Website: http://www.blackboxvoting.org


 * Phone: 425-793-1030; cell 206-335-7747

Mailing address:
 * 330 SW 43rd St. Suite K, Box 547
 * Renton WA 98057


 * E-mail: [mailto:crew@blackboxvoting.org crew@blackboxvoting.org]

BBV Resources:


 * Black Box Voting offers an Election Protection Toolkit


 * Black Box Voting Forums (includes state by state)

Caltech-MIT Voting Technology Project
Website: http://www.votingtechnologyproject.org/

Contact information:
 * Use the email form at the site: http://www.votingtechnologyproject.org/contact.html

Center for Civic Participation
Description: The Center for Civic Participation’s mission is to increase civic engagement by individuals and organizations in ways that both strengthen our democratic institutions and encourage public involvement in civic life. CCP’s priority is to work in communities that have been historically underrepresented in our democratic process.

Website: ccp.org

Center for Election Integrity
Description: The Center for Election Integrity (CEI) at Cleveland State University is a partnership of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. It draws upon the long standing expertise from both colleges in electoral and regulatory law, public administration and civic education. CEI provides research, training, consultation, and public education to assist Ohio in becoming the national leader in transparent, legal, efficient and accurate elections.


 * Website: http://urban.csuohio.edu/cei/

Contact information:

Mailing Address
 * Cleveland State University
 * 2121 Euclid Avenue, LB 229
 * Cleveland, OH 44115-2214

Campus Location
 * Law Building, Room 229
 * 1800 Euclid Avenue


 * Phone: 216.687.2313


 * email: [mailto:candice.hoke@law.csuohio.ed candice.hoke@law.csuohio.ed]

Citizens for a Fair Vote Count
Description: "The Nation's First Website on the Computerized Votefraud Problem"; emphasis on allegations of fraud by Democrats and Republicans against third-party candidates (Pat Buchanan, Ron Paul).

Website: http://www.votefraud.org/

Common Cause

 * Description: Common Cause is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1970 by John Gardner as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process and to hold their elected leaders accountable to the public interest.


 * Website: http://www.commoncause.org/

Contact Information:
 * Common Cause
 * 1133 19th Street NW, 9th Floor
 * Washington, DC 20036
 * Phone: 202.833.1200
 * There is an email contact form at the website.


 * Common Cause's Election Reform Topic Center has a broad goal of overhauling the nation’s system of voting. They are focused on:
 * Voter-Verified Paper Ballot.
 * Fair and Effective Voter Database Management Protocols.
 * Election Day Registration.
 * Early Voting and No-excuse Absentee Voting.
 * Voting By Mail.
 * Criminalizing Voter Suppression and Intimidation Tactics.
 * Stopping Passage of Onerous Voter Identification Laws.
 * DC Voting Rights.
 * Nonpartisan Administration of Elections.
 * National Popular Vote.
 * Redistricting Reform.

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Description: "CPSR is a global organization promoting the responsible use of computer technology. Founded in 1981, CPSR educates policymakers and the public on a wide range of issues. ... CPSR has been studying voting machines and the human-machine interface of voting since the 1980s. We have researched election systems, observed elections, commented on voting systems standards, and participated in the administration of elections. In 1994, CPSR sent a team to the Republic of South Africa to assist that nation in their historic elections. We have written numerous papers and reports on elections systems and spoken at elections administration conferences."

Voting technology page: http://cpsr.org/issues/vote/

Counted As Cast
Description: "CountedAsCast.com is about our elections and our new voting systems, so it is about our democracy. Fair and accurate elections are mission-critical to our government. When our elections are at risk, our government is at risk."


 * Website: http://www.countedascast.com/home.php

Contact information:
 * [mailto:Jim.Soper@GMail.com Jim.Soper@GMail.com]

The Democracy Campaign
The Democracy Campaign is a joint project of People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation


 * Website: http://www.workingfordemocracy.org/

Contact information:


 * Use the email form at the site

Democracy Campaign Resources:

The Democracy Campaign offers the following Voter ID Toolkits:


 * California Voter ID Toolkit
 * Florida Voter ID Toolkit
 * Georgia Voter ID Toolkit
 * Michigan Voter ID Toolkit
 * Ohio Voter ID Toolkit
 * Texas Voter ID Toolkit

Demos
Description: A multi-issue national organization, Demos combines research, policy development, and advocacy to influence public debates and catalyze change. ... The Democracy Program works to strengthen democracy in the United States by reducing barriers to voter participation and encouraging civic engagement. Demos supports expanded democratic participation by conducting new research; supporting pro-voter litigation; providing information and resources to advocates and policymakers; and advancing a broad agenda for election reform.

Demos Democracy Program website: Demos Democracy Program

Electronic Frontier Foundation
Description: "With our partners in the Election Protection Coalition, EFF will gather critical data during the November 2006 elections about technology performance and will provide assistance to voters and election officials who are confronted with machine-related problems. We hope to ensure that everything runs smoothly on election day -- and if anything goes awry, we're ready to file legal challenges or take other action to make sure every vote counts."

General website: http://www.eff.org/

Contact information:
 * Contact email: [mailto:information@eff.org information@eff.org]

Election Protection Resources
 * Election Protection
 * E-Voting Rights resource page
 * Total Election Awareness

Electronic Voting Machine Quick Reference Guides (2006)

Direct-Recording Electronic (DRE) machines - no paper ballot, but a backup Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail may be in-use.
 * Accupoll AVS 1000
 * Advanced Voting Solutions Winvote
 * Avante Vote-Trakker EVC-308SPR
 * Diebold AccuVote TS
 * Diebold AccuVote TSx
 * ES&S iVotronic
 * Danaher/Shouptronic/Guardian Voting Systems ELECTronic 124
 * Hart Intercivic eSlate 3000
 * Microvote MV-464
 * Sequoia AVC Advantage
 * Sequoia AVC Edge

Optical Scan
 * Diebold AccuVote
 * ES&S Model 100
 * Hart Intercivic E-Scan
 * Sequoia Optech III-P Eagle

Other machines
 * AutoMARK Technical Systems AutoMARK VAT
 * Unisyn Voting Solutions InkaVote and InkaVote Plus

EFF Resources:
 * General index of EFF's electronic voting rights work and resources.
 * EFF guides to many electronic voting machines.

Election Defense Alliance
Description: Election Defense Alliance (EDA) is building a national citizen movement to expose electoral fraud and establish electoral integrity, so that governments accountable to the people are legitimately elected.

EDA is a democratic, participatory organization bringing together citizen activists across the nation in a coordinated, full-time, full-range campaign for transparency and integrity in local, county, state, and national elections.

We seek to restore electoral integrity as the foundation of American democracy, by alerting the citizenry to the illusions and dangers of privatized, computerized, fraud-prone voting machines, and working to replace this illegitimate system of secret vote-counting with hand-counted paper ballot elections, conducted by citizens in the precincts in public view, so that the vote-counting process is transparent, secure, verified, and fully accountable to the voters.

Website: http://www.electiondefensealliance.org

Contact information:


 * Dan Ashby, 510-740-0572 (voicemail and fax) [mailto:Dan@ElectionDefenseAlliance.org Dan@ElectionDefenseAlliance.org]


 * Sally Castleman, [mailto:SallyC@ElectionDefenseAlliance.org SallyC@ElectionDefenseAlliance.org]


 * Jonathan Simon, 617-538-6012 [mailto:Jonathan@ElectionDefenseAlliance.org Jonathan@ElectionDefenseAlliance.org]

Election Guardians
Description: "Election Guardians is a non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is to restore and institutionalize a voting system that is free of fraud and manipulation."


 * Website: http://www.electionguardians.org/

Contact information:


 * Chair Kevin Craig [mailto:kevin@electionguardians.org kevin@electionguardians.org]


 * Vice Chair Marcia Amino [mailto:marcia@electionguardians.org marcia@electionguardians.org]


 * Secretary Susan Marie Weber [mailto:susanmarieweber@electionguardians.org susanmarieweber@electionguardians.org]


 * Parliamentarian Denise Latini [mailto:denise@electionguardians.org denise@electionguardians.org]

Election Integrity
Election Integrity works to promote:


 * Election Verification: Polls, especially exit polling, Statistical analysis, Auditing


 * Demystification of Election processes: Books, articles, presentations & education materials


 * Democracy-Building: Organizing, communications and events

In 2006, EI conducted the USA's first Election Verification Exit Poll, and will be doing another such poll in the November 2008 general election.

Website: http://www.electionintegrity.org/

Contacts:
 * Founder and Principal Investigator: Dr. Steven F. Freeman [mailto:sff@sas.upenn.edu sff@sas.upenn.edu]
 * Polling Director: Dr. Ken Warren [mailto:warrenkf@stl.edu warrenkf@stl.edu]
 * Lead Analyst: Dr. Josh Mitteldorf [mailto:josh@mathforum.org josh@mathforum.org]


 * Administrative Asst. Laura Decencio [mailto:ddecencio@comcast.net ddecencio@comcast.net]
 * Attorney & Statutory agent: Dr. Bob Fitrakis [mailto:truth@freepress.org truth@freepress.org]

Election Preparedness
Description: Our goal for ElectionPreparedness.com is to be a resource for members of all political parties and independents. This site is a labor of love for our country, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. We hope you will acknowledge our efforts by Confirming Your Vote, Organizing Locally and alerting all eligible voters to visit our website.

Website: http://electionpreparedness.com/

Send email using the website form.

Election Protection
Description: The nonpartisan Election Protection coalition was formed to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process.

Through our state of the art hotlines: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (administered by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law) and 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota (administered by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Education Fund), this website, and comprehensive voter protection field programs across the country, we provide Americans from coast to coast with comprehensive voter information and advice on how they can make sure their vote is counted.

Made up of more than 100 local, state and national partners, this year's coalition will be the largest voter protection and education effort in the nation's history.

Website: http://www.866ourvote.org/

Contact Information:
 * Call: 1-866-Our-Vote
 * Email: [mailto:help@866ourvote.org help@866ourvote.org]

Available resources

 * An excellent list of state resources
 * "Real stories & data" - election experiences from people.

Electionline.org (Pew Charitable Trusts)
From the website: "electionline.org, a project of the Pew Center on the States, is the nation’s only nonpartisan, non-advocacy Web site providing up-to-the-minute news and analysis on election reform. Established by Pew after the November 2000 vote, electionline has become the leading source for journalists, policymakers, election officials, academics and concerned citizens to learn about, discuss and debate election administration issues."


 * Website: http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/initiatives_detail.aspx?initiativeID=34044

Contact information:


 * The Pew Center on the States
 * Washington, D.C. Office
 * c/o The Pew Charitable Trusts
 * 1025 F Street NW, 9th Floor
 * Washington, DC 20004-1409


 * Ph: 202.552.2000 Fax: 202.552.2299

Philadelphia Office
 * c/o The Pew Charitable Trusts
 * One Commerce Square
 * 2005 Market Street, Suite 1700
 * Philadelphia, PA 19103-7077


 * Ph: 215.575.9050 Fax: 215.575.4939


 * E-mail: [mailto:statepolicymail@pewtrusts.org statepolicymail@pewtrusts.org]

Fair Election Legal Network
Website: http://www.fairelectionsnetwork.com/

Description: "The Fair Elections Legal Network (FELN) is a national, nonpartisan network of experienced private and organizational election lawyers. FELN lawyers work proactively to remove legal impediments to voter participation and promote laws or administrative decisions that grant broader participation in voting. FELN’s activities include operating an online discussion where participants can address legal, process and litigation issues, serving as a clearinghouse for attorney referrals and contacts, creating and maintaining a database from which members of the Network can access contact information about lawyers, experts, and organizations as well as documents, including briefs and judicial and administrative decisions, convening discussions about legal theories, litigation strategy, and the relative merits of ongoing and cases and/or potential filings, and facilitating the exchange of information between lawyers representing different entities who are challenging obstacles to full voter participation."

Contact information:


 * 1730 Rhode Island Avenue., N.W.
 * Suite 712
 * Washington, D.C. 20036


 * Telephone: 202.331.0114 Fax: 202.331.1663


 * Email: Legal Director, Karen Neuman [mailto:kneuman@fairelectionsnetwork.com kneuman@fairelectionsnetwork.com]


 * For general inquiries, please send email: [mailto:admin@fairelectionsnetwork.com admin@fairelectionsnetwork.com]

Fair Elections
Website: http://www.fairelections.us/

Contact information:


 * Gary Krane, PhD, the volunteer director of Fair Elections, may be reached at [mailto:DavidvGoliath@Gmail.com DavidvGoliath@Gmail.com] or by calling him 8am-11pm PST at 510 832 4033

Fair Vote

 * Website: http://www.fairvote.org/

Contact information:


 * FairVote
 * 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 610
 * Takoma Park, Maryland 20912


 * phone(301) 270-4616 fax (301) 270-4133


 * email: [mailto:info@fairvote.org info@fairvote.org]

State affiliates:
 * FairVote Rhode Island
 * FairVote NC
 * FairVote NYC
 * FairVote MD

Unaffiliated state groups:
 * FairVote Minnesota
 * FairVote Arizona

The Immigrant Voting Project
Description: "The Immigrant Voting Project is a resource network dedicated to promoting discussion about the practice of allowing immigrants to vote in local elections – referred to as "resident voting" – as an innovative way to promote civic participation. It also promotes responsibility among incipient Americans and better educates and prepares them for eventual citizenship. The project gives voice to one of the last disenfranchised segments of the population and to increase government accountability in communities with large immigrant populations."


 * Website: http://www.immigrantvoting.org

Contact information:


 * Ron Hayduk, BMCC/CUNY 212-220-1246


 * Michele Wucker, World Policy Institute, 212-481-5005 x536


 * Email: [mailto:info@immigrantvoting.org info@immigrantvoting.org]

Just Vote '08
Just Vote '08 is an Advancement Project Initiative


 * Website: http://www.justvote08.org/

Resources:


 * Advancement Project Just Democracy Blog


 * Voter Protection Action Kit

Voter Protection Nutshells:

These publications are part of a series intended to distill complex election law for lawyers, advocates, voter registration campaigns and "Get Out the Vote" campaigns. They combine state election law with state regulations, rules, attorney general opinions and other election materials to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the law and practices that impact elections. While these publications do not cover every provision of state election law, they highlight those provisions, which, in our experience, have most impacted the voting rights of minority voters.

Advancement Project publishes these nutshells with local law firms and lawyers as part of our "Voter Protection Program" project. We encourage our partners to use these legal guides in support of local, on the ground voter protection efforts in advance of Election Day.
 * Florida Voter Protection Laws in A Nutshell
 * Michigan Voter Protection Laws in A Nutshell
 * Ohio Voter Protection Laws in A Nutshell
 * Pennsylvania Voter Protection Laws in A Nutshell
 * Virginia Voter Protection Laws in A Nutshell

The following interpretation of Louisiana Election Law contains only a small portion of the law that may be relevant to voter registration campaigns and advocates attempting to ensure that citizens may register, cast their ballots and have them counted.


 * Louisiana Election Law Primer

The following interpretation of Nevada Election Law contains only a small portion of the law that may be relevant to voter registration campaigns and advocates attempting to ensure that citizens may register, cast their ballots and have them counted.


 * Nevada Election Law Primer


 * Click here to check the voter registration deadline and requirements in your state.


 * Click here to find your election office.


 * Click here to find out where your polling place is.


 * Click here to find out the requirements to become a poll worker in your state.


 * Click here to see the voter ID requirements in your state.

Landes Report

 * Website: http://thelandesreport.com/VotingSecurity.htm

Contact information:
 * Contact: [mailto:lynnlandes@earthlink.net lynnlandes@earthlink.net] / (215) 629-3553 phone/fax

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Description: The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers' Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law.


 * Website: lawyerscomm.org

League of Women Voters
Description: The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

Website: lwv.org

Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
Description: Founded in 1968 in San Antonio, Texas, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) is the leading nonprofit Latino litigation, advocacy and educational outreach institution in the United States.

Website: maldef.org

My Fair Election
Description: MyFairElection.com is a web based platform to generate a crowd-sourced map of electoral conditions across the United States on election day 2008.

Rate your polling place and your experience of voting here. Was it easy to vote? Were there long lines, closed polling places, or broken machines? Your rating and those of thousands of other voters will produce a real-time map of voting conditions throughout the country on November 4, 2008. Sign up now, and you will receive an email message with instructions for submitting your own rating after you vote.

Journalists, community groups, public officials, and even individual citizens will use this map to locate problems with our election system and fix them on election day. So, help make our election fair and accessible to all Americans by rating your polling place.


 * Website: http://myfairelection.com/

Contact: [mailto:info@myfairelection.com info@myfairelection.com]

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Description: \[T]he NAACP's Command Center - manned by NAACP staff, in partnership with state and local organizations, legal advisors, community and faith leaders, and volunteers - continues to respond to and track incoming reports of voter suppression and protection violations received on the 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline.


 * Website: http://www.naacp.org/

National Ballot Integrity Project
Description: The National Ballot Integrity Project is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(4) organization, dedicated to ensuring: voting accessibility for all citizens of legal age; public accountability and oversight of all aspects of the election system; public awareness of election reform issues; accurate recording, counting and reporting of all votes cast; the adoption and enforcement of election procedures, laws and regulations that ensure that everyone who wants to vote is able to do so with dignity and without hindrance, and with the full knowledge that each vote will be counted as cast.

Website: ballotintegrity.org

National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Description: The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) is a 501©3, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing Black civic engagement and voter participation.


 * Website: http://www.ncbcp.org/

Contact Information
 * 1900 L Street, NW, Suite 700
 * Washington, DC 20036, USA.
 * (202) 659-4929 · (202) 659-5025

Email: [mailto:ncbcp@ncbcp.org ncbcp@ncbcp.org]

National Campaign for Fair Elections
Description: The National Campaign for Fair Elections is an Initiative of the Voting Rights Project of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

The goal of the National Campaign is to foster a national movement committed to ensuring that all voters have an equal opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot.

NCFFE leads Election Protection - the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection coalition including the Lawyers’ Committee, the National Bar Association, the NAACP, and the People for the American Way Foundation. Election Protection - the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection coalition including the Lawyers’ Committee, the National Bar Association, the NAACP, and the People for the American Way Foundation.


 * Website: http://nationalcampaignforfairelections.org/

Contact information:


 * Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
 * 1401 New York Avenue NW, Suite 400
 * Washington, DC 20005-2124.

National Committee for Voting Integrity
Description: The National Committee for Voting Integrity (NCVI) is an EPIC project that brings together experts on voting issues from across the country to promote constructive dialogue among computer scientists, elections administrators, voting rights advocates, policymakers, the media and the public on the best methods for achieving in practice: fair, reliable, secure, accessible, transparent, accurate, accountable, and auditable public elections. In keeping with the goal of public election administration we are working to ensure that election systems preserve the secret ballot, accuracy, privacy, integrity, and the proper tabulation of the voter's intent regardless of his or her physical condition, language of origin, or literacy ability.


 * Website: http://votingintegrity.org/

Contact information:
 * National Committee for Voting Integrity
 * 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200
 * Washington, DC 20009
 * (202) 483-1140 Ext. 111 (fax) 202-483-1248


 * email: [mailto:info@votingintegrity.org info@votingintegrity.org]

National Voting Rights Institute
Description: "The National Voting Rights Institute is a non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to making real the promise of American democracy that meaningful political participation and power should be accessible to all regardless of economic or social status."


 * Website: http://www.nvri.org/

Contact information:


 * email: [mailto:nvri@nvri.org nvri@nvri.org]


 * Phone: (617) 624-3900 Fax: (617) 624-3911

Address:
 * 27 School Street, Suite 500
 * Boston, MA 02108 USA.

No More Stolen Elections
No More Stolen Elections is preparing contingency plans for action if the November 4, 2008 election appears stolen, fraudulent or manipulated and inaccurate.

More information at:
 * No More Stolen Elections

No Voter Left Behind
Expose election theft. Spot election theft. Report election theft.

Email: [mailto:contact@americasdemocrats.org contact@americasdemocrats.org]

Website: http://www.novoterleftbehind.net/

Blog: NVLB.NET BLOG

Open Voting Consortium
Description: The Open Voting Consortium is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development, maintenance, and delivery of trustable and open voting systems for use in public elections. We are comprised of computer scientists, voting experts, and voting rights activists. We have a growing international membership base, but our organizing efforts are currently focused in California where we are actively engaged in legislation and implementing Open Voting as a model for the United States. The founders of OVC are computer engineer Alan Dechert, database and election systems expert Dr. Arthur Keller, and computer science professor Dr. Doug Jones. They have worked collaboratively with experts from throughout the world to examine every aspect of voting scientifically and advance needed reform so that confidence can be restored in American elections. Many of these experts now serve as advisors or on the OVC Board of Directors. In sum, OVC has the brain power and computer programming talent to develop open source software codes and a comprehensive data base and check list for electoral accountability.

Website: openvotingconsortium.org

People for the American Way
Description: People For the American Way is dedicated to making the promise of America real for every American: Equality. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. The right to seek justice in a court of law. The right to cast a vote that counts. The American Way.

Website: pfaw.org

Project Vote
Description: Project Vote is the leading technical assistance and direct service provider to the civic participation community. Since its founding in 1982, Project Vote has provided professional training, management, evaluation and technical services on a broad continuum of key issues related to voter engagement and participation in low-income and minority communities. Project Vote is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization.

Website: projectvote.org

Project Vote Count
Description: We are a group of concerned citizens who are concerned for the Democracy and future of our country. We are aware of the issues we are facing regarding Election Fraud and we have decided to put honesty back in our election system. We are striving for an honest, fair, and equal platform for any and all candidates and we are committed to carrying out this purpose.


 * Website: http://projectvotecount.com/contact.aspx

Contact Information:


 * email: [mailto:fl-coord@projectvotecount.com fl-coord@projectvotecount.com]

Reform Elections.org
Description: ReformElections.org is The Century Foundation's informational web site on election reform policy. In addition to the Foundation's ongoing research on election reform issues, Reformelections.org features resource guides, policy developments, and the latest research from the election reform community.


 * Website: http://www.reformelections.org/

Contact information:
 * Century Foundation Staff on Election Reform [mailto:info@tcf.org?subject=reformelections.org info@tcf.org]
 * Richard C. Leone, President,
 * Tova Andrea Wang, Democracy Fellow, Program,
 * Kristen Oshyn, Program Associate, Program - DC

Issue pages:
 * Databases
 * Early Voting
 * Election Fraud
 * HAVA Basics
 * Machines
 * Provisional Ballots
 * Registration
 * Restoration of Voting Rights
 * Voter ID

State Voices
Description: "The Center for Civic Participation's mission is to increase civic engagement by individuals and organizations in ways that both strengthen our democratic institutions and encourage public involvement in civic life. CCP's priority is to support collaborative work to engage socially responsible citizens and communities that have been historically underrepresented, in our democratic process.

CCP’s State Voices initiative works to share information between nonpartisan state based civic and voter engagement 501(c)(3) networks or tables, and helps local leadership identify and obtain the tools necessary to easily share a central voter file."

Website: http://statevoices.org/

TrueVote
Description: TrueVote.US is working to end paperless electronic voting in the United States. Touchscreen voting systems are the most expensive and least transparent voting system available where an independent audits and meaningful recounts are impossible. Computerized voting systems have security flaws that undermine the confidence of voters. In addition, they have had Election Day problems – not turning on, or machines freezing or breaking down in mid-vote, candidates not being included, an inability to select the candidate a voter intends and memory cards which store the votes being blank.

Website: http://truevote.us/

United States Election Assistance Commission
Description: The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information about election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as audits the use of HAVA funds.


 * Website: http://www.eac.gov/

Resources The Voter Information Center includes
 * Election Official Center
 * Voter Information Center
 * Register to Vote
 * Voter Registration Deadlines by State
 * National Voter Registration Act
 * State Election Office Contact Information
 * Resources for Overseas Citizens and Military Voters
 * U.S. Congressional Primary Dates
 * 2008 State Primary Dates
 * Find Your Congressional District
 * State Polling Hours
 * Poll Worker Requirements by State
 * Voter's Guide to Election Day
 * Contact Your State Election Office or Find Your Election Official
 * The League of Women Voters' Vote 411
 * Glossary of Election Terms in Six Languages
 * U.S. Federal Election System
 * Voting System Reports Clearinghouse

Velvet Revolution's Election Protection Strike Force 2008

 * Website: http://www.velvetrevolution.us/electionstrikeforce/

Contact information:
 * email: [mailto:info@velvetrevolution.us info@velvetrevolution.us]

Resources:

List of state resources

Resources list

Verified Voting

 * Website: http://www.verifiedvoting.org/

Contact information:
 * VerifiedVoting.org
 * PO Box 4104
 * Carlsbad, CA 92018


 * Tel. +1 760-613-0172 Fax +1 321-600-6860


 * An e-mail contact form is on the site

VoteTrustUSA
Description: A national resource for state-based organizations working for secure, accurate and transparent elections. VoteTrustUSA is a project of Verified Voting Foundation.


 * Website: http://www.votetrustusa.org/

Voter Action
Website: http://www.voteraction.org

Contact information:


 * Voter Action
 * 2366 Eastlake Avenue East Suite 311
 * Seattle, WA 98102


 * Office: (206) 723-1941 | Fax: (206) 260-3031

Email:
 * [mailto:info@voteraction.org info@voteraction.org]
 * [mailto:thevoteractionteam@voteraction.org thevoteractionteam@voteraction.org]

Description: "Voter Action is a national non-profit organization engaging in legal advocacy, research, and public education to ensure election integrity in the United States. We protect an open and transparent election process, one in which our elections at the federal, state, and local levels are accessible and verifiable. Electronic voting machines used in the most recent elections are deeply flawed. Voter Action supports the basic civil and political rights of all voters to cast their ballots in an independent manner and to have to their votes accurately recorded and counted."

Voters Unite
Website: http://www.votersunite.org/

Description: "VotersUnite! is a national non-partisan organization dedicated to fair and accurate elections. It focuses on distributing well-researched information to elections officials, elected officials, the media, and the public; as well as providing activists with information they need to work toward transparent elections in their communities."

Contact information:
 * Email your messages to [mailto:vuinfo@votersunite.org vuinfo@votersunite.org]

State and local groups
To see more information on voting issues and the groups that work on them, click on a state below:



Why Tuesday? also offers a page titled Find a group in your area that helps locate each state's elections officials, election reform groups, and elected officials.

Scoop Campaign For Electronic Election Integrity
For the 2008 US Election Scoop Independent news is launching a pro-bono advertising campaign to raise profile around past and present electronic voting machinery vulnerability issues which even after six years of reporting and investigation in independent online media remain trivialized in most mainstream publications. See usacoup.scoop.co.nz or email [mailto:usacoup@scoop.co.nz usacoup@scoop.co.nz] for details and to submit adverts to be run for free on Scoop through to February 2009.

External resources

 * The Brad Blog covers election protection issues.


 * Details of Voter Identification Requirements, National Conference of State Legislators, lists voter ID requirements for each state.


 * State voter registration deadlines from the United States Election Assistance Commission.


 * List of election protection organizations from the dKosopedia.

External articles
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