DRAFT OF DON RICKTER, MEMBER OF ARLINGTON STREET CHURCH, BOSTON, MA 02116 [home: 88 Hemlock Street, ARLINGTON, MA 02474] rickter@rcn.com as of 10 NOVEMBER 2005 CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO VOTE Issue: What can Unitarian Universalists do to guarantee that all US citizens have a Constitutional Right to Vote? Background and Reasons for Study: It may be surprising to you that in the US citizens actually lack a Constitutional right to vote. The 10th Amendment to the Constitution states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.' There is no mention of a basic right of all citizens to vote, so the states are in charge. Amendments assert that the vote will not be denied on the basis of sex, color, or age -- BUT THERE IS NO POSITIVE GUARANTEE.FOR ALL CITIZENS. Democracy depends on public confidence in honest and fair elections. The Presidential election of November 2000 was an embarrassing fiasco, resulting in the appointment of President Bush by the US Supreme Court. In November 2004 there were numerous allegations of voting irregularities in Florida and in Ohio. In each of these states the chief elections official was blatantly partisan, serving as a co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign. There are many social activists concerned with accuracy of voting machines, alleged discouraging of voting by minority groups, underfunding of HAVA, and other electoral issues. All of them face the basic situation that the individual states have control of the voting process. Uniform standards for voting cannot be enforced until there is an explicit statement in the US Constitution. We the people have the right and duty to govern ourselves. Significance to Unitarian Universalism: The Fifth Principle of the Unitarian Universalist Association affirms the use of the democratic process in society at large. We are challenged to govern ourselves, to make wise choices, and to take serious responsibility for our actions. Possible Study Questions: • If Mozambique and Ukraine can conduct fair elections, why can’t we? • How many different systems are there for deciding how a US citizen registers to vote and casts a ballot in a Presidential election? (Hint: the total number of counties and parishes is 3142.) * How do we get equal access to the media when a small number of large corporations control television outlets, cable systems, and newspapers? • What checks and balances work to protect minorities and the physically challenged? • How are votes tallied and the results transmitted to county or other central collection points? Can the processes be verified independently? • How easy is it for a person or persons to manipulate computer programs to give predecided results? • How are ATM’s routinely operated, economically, with a secure paper trail? • Why is there so little public concern about what is going on? Is it due to psychological denial? ... To failure of news media to cover the problem? ... To inadequate public education? ... To inability to frame the issue in terms that are understood by ordinary people? ... To a combination of factors? • What are other faith traditions and activist organizations (for example, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, Voters Unite.org, VoteTrustUSA.org, and many small, energetic election reform groups in almost every state) doing nationally and/or locally to take action on this issue? Are there opportunities for joining forces with them? • Should a centralized leadership effort focussing on electoral reform be established in the UUA? • Is it possible to replace the “winner take all” pattern in most states with one that gives a proportional number of electors to each Presidential candidate? If so, would this lead to campaigning in more parts of the country than just the “battleground” states? Possible Actions: • Work for a Constitutional amendment that confirms the basic right of all US citizens to vote. Begin on a state-to-state basis. • Adopt a clear consensus on what constitutes standards for honest, transparent electoral procedures that are uniform across all of the USA. • Work within each state to establish a nonpartisan commission to draw compact Congressional Districts after each Decennial Census. • Cooperate with other faith communities, citizens’ groups, and other organizations to advocate for governmental reform that ensures voting rights for all citizens. Related Prior Social Witness Statements: Electronic Voting (AIW 2004), Federal Registrars for Voting (Gen 1965) A FEW REFERENCES revised 11/11/2005 The Crosby Stills and Nash Forum: 2005: US Election Rights & Issues ... Rock The Vote, verified Voting, VotersUnite, VoteTrustUSA , and Working Assets. ... American citizens Do not have A constitutional right To Vote .... forum.crosbystillsnash.com/ubb-cgi/ ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=4;t=000106 - Daily Kos: Emerging Diebold Scandal in MD ... organization in VoteTrustUSA , a national network of state election integrity groups. ... Afghanis have a Constitutional Right to vote : Americans don't. ... www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/17/02212/3566 - THE BRAD BLOG: Archives June 2005 That's right, you have no constitutional right to vote in this ... JOAN KRAWITZ & WARREN STEWART of VoteTrustUSA .org on Election Reform Coalition lobbying ...www.bradblog.com/archives/archive-062005.htm • Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding the right to vote 108th CONGRESS 1st Session H. J. RES. 28 Mar 4, ‘03 http://www.jessejacksonjr.org/ • Unitarian Universalists for Verified Voting http://www.uuvv.org/ • http://www.votersunite.org/article.asp?id=4248 • http://www.votetrustusa.org/ • CENTER FOR VOTING AND DEMOCRACY www.fairvote.org • FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION www.fec.gov • National Commission on Federal Election Reform: http://www.reformelections.org/ • Each state has a website for its Secretary of State, For example: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/index.htm • http://www.verifiedvoting.org • http://www.blackboxvoting.org • http://www.countthevote.org • http://www.electionline.org • http://www.fairvotes.org • http://www.commoncause.org • http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA178213 • LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN INDIVIDUAL STATES: http://www.lwv.org/join/election/ear_leagues-in-action.html • http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Census+suffrage • Ronnie Dugger, “How They Could Steal the Election This Time”, The Nation (August 16/23, 2004, cover story, pages 11-27) • A Republican lost in a touch-screen election (Emil Danciu, one-time mayor of Boca Raton, FL) No recount of ballots was possible; there were no ballots. www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/11/05/voting_machines/index2.html • VOTER RIGHTS, VOTER RESPONSIBILITIES http://www.bcri.org/news/news/aba.htm DRAFTED BY DON RICKTER, MEMBER OF ARLINGTON STREET CHURCH BOSTON, MA 02116 [home: 88 Hemlock Street, ARLINGTON, MA 02474; 781.643.7575]