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Filed under Politics (National) Background Information: GOTV Groups
Tiffany Wilson reporting from Columbus (2008-10-20 12:06:42)
Here's a quick update of where we stand with potential voter fraud in Franklin County, OH. Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said the "Vote From Home" situation could be resolved as soon as today. He's spoken with the members involved, their attorneys and the Boards of Elections from their home states around the country. I'm waiting for a call back from O'Brien to get any updates. He's in meetings for another hour or so.
Over the weekend, we identified more than 40 questionable names from two other get out the vote (GOTV) groups in Ohio : Vote Today Ohio and Drop Everything And Come To Ohio TIme.
I first met members of Vote Today Ohio on October 1 when I saw them bussing Ohio State students to the polls. According to their website, "Vote Today Ohio (VTO) is the grassroots initiative that helped over 3300 Ohioans vote early during Golden Week so that their otherwise underrepresented voices could be heard." Along with Vote From Home, VTO identified the change in Ohio's early voting laws and found a way to maximize "progressive" voter registration. According to their website, their strategy is to rent vans and help 10,000 progressive voters from two kinds of locations - college campuses and urban areas in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus - get to the polls. Vote Today Ohio has raised $97,744 through ActBlue, the online clearing house for Democratic Action. Their two founders, Christina Moon and Tate Hausman posted a video on their website www.votetodayohio.blogspot.com, asking for another $35,000 to fund Phase II of their GOTV efforts.
I called the contact number for Vote Today Ohio around 11 a.m. today and left a message. Their press officer called me back and I am trying to set up an interview.
Drop Everything And Come To Ohio Time or DEACTO, is the second get out the vote organization we are checking out. I found DEACTO online. They have a Facebook group with more than 1,150 members and their mission is to win Ohio for Obama. This is the group's description on Facebook.
"171. That's how many full-time, five-week volunteer organizers the Obama campaign in Ohio needs in order to hit our targets before election day. George Bush won here by about ten votes per precinct last time. In five weeks, do you think you could find five votes?
Ohio for Obama cordially invites you to drop everything and come to Ohio. Grateful Ohioan volunteers will put you up and we'll put you to work.
The reward for your sacrifice? Being able to tell your kids and your grandkids that you changed the world."
The Facebook group contact information links directly to the official Barack Obama campaign website http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/ohcometoohio.
So far, we've identified roughly three dozen out-of-state volunteers who are members of the DEACTO facebook group who registered/requested ballots/voted in Franklin County. For example, meet Joye Purser. Her Franklin County registration card lists her with a Columbus address, but her profile on LinkedIn shows her as a current Senior Legislative Assistant at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington D.C. She's been with the House since November 2003 and on October 14, 2008 the Franklin County Board of Elections mailed her an absentee ballot.
Stay with Palestra.net as we continue to look into these new GOTV groups.
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Comments
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justlisa @ 2008-10-20 17:35:44 --
Wow!
You continue to amaze me...
I see a very bright future for you...