top of page
Search

'Firehose' of Conspiracies - October 28, 2024

Writer's picture: beachesactivistmovbeachesactivistmov

Safeguarding Election Integrity

One of the most damaging of all the MAGA assaults on the democratic institutions of this country is its undermining of the election process. According to a watchdog group, election officials across the country are facing a 'firehose' of conspiracy theories from the

vulnerability of mail-in ballots to the security of voting machines as we head into the final days of the 2024 election. Fanned by the GOP presidential nominee and tech billionaire Elon Musk, lies and disinformation have circulated widely over social media and created an environment of mistrust and hostility at polling locations, including locally. We saw it at the Beaches Library where the line for paper ballots stretched out the door, and there were mumblings about being 'forced' to vote electronically, not to mention warnings posted on Next Door. And while accusations of fraud originated on the right, concern in this election - particularly about the alleged ability of electronic touch screen machines to change votes - has spread to voters across the political spectrum.


Florida law requires two voting options at every polling site. Voters can request a paper ballot which they mark by hand, or use an electronic machine that generates a marked ballot of their selections. The electronic machines, called ExpressVote, are generating most of the controversy even though they have been used in the county since 2021. According to the Duval County SOE, some voters have had issues using the ExpressVote machines to mark their ballots, which the office is addressing by providing a stylus for voters to use in making their selections. The machines generally speed up the voting process since paper ballots must be printed individually based on the address of each voter during early voting. Despite widespread disinformation suggesting otherwise, ExpressVote machines are not connected to the internet and cannot be hacked. Most important, there are multiple opportunities for voters to check and correct their ballots if they use ExpressVote, including a printed paper copy of their selections at the end of the process. If a voter finds a mistake even at that stage of voting, they can ask a poll worker for assistance and obtain a new ballot up to three times to correct any errors. Like paper ballots that voters bubble by hand, no ballot marked by ExpressVote is cast or counted until the voter inserts it into the tabulator. Our best advice is to check your ballot carefully --- whether paper or machine-generated --- before you put it in the tabulator.


Election officials across the country have worked hard to safeguard our votes and re-build trust in the election process after unprecedented attacks in 2020, but if you have any questions or concerns after voting you can contact the national Election Protection hotline, organized by a nonpartisan coalition of 300 voting rights groups, at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). You can also contact Duval SOE Jerry Holland - he reads his email! Holland is scheduled to be a guest at today's (Monday, October 28) meeting of the Duval Voting Rights Coalition. Join the ZOOM meeting at 6:30 p.m. or submit your questions here.


8 Days Left: All Gas, No Brakes

  • DMP Rally in Jax: Join U. S. Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and GA Senator Jon Ossoff on Wednesday, October 30th at 4 p.m. in Jacksonville! Meet Debbie, Senator Ossoff, and other special guests as they work to flip the Senate! Get details and RSVP here.

  • It's a Phone-A-Palooza! How do you deal with Election Anxiety? We suggest 'Chop Wood and Carry Water' In other words, Do More calls with us! You can do this focused activity from the comfort of your home --- the perfect way to quell the nerves. Join BAM and the Beaches Democratic Club this Saturday (Nov. 2) or next Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 4 & 5) for a final GOTV together. We'll provide training and support! Sign up here.

  • Phonebank Not for You? Text instead! We're adding a break-out room during Phone-A-Palooza for texting voters! Sign up here and join us!

  • Canvass & Lit Drop at the Beach: Join the Beaches Democratic Club, Beaches Activists Movement, and all of our like-minded friends for one last canvass this WEDNESDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY as we focus on 'cool' dems --- aka sporadic voters --- who may need a little nudge getting out to vote.  Can't make it? We'll give you a list of voters to visit on your own time --- turfs available in Atlantic, Neptune & Jax Beach. We are sooooo close to reaching our goal! Contact Hanna for details.

  • Flip House District 16: Canvass for Rachel Grage! Sign up to knock on doors in neighborhoods throughout her district here. You can also sign up for sign waving at Early Voting sites in her district.

  • Sign Wave for Harris/Walz: Volunteers are needed at Early Voting polling sites! Contact Veronica Glover at (904) 763-5240 for details. Or just drop by the Beaches Library and join the crowd!  


Our Postcarders are Awesome!

We had an energizing grand finale to our postcarding efforts for the 2024 election last Tuesday night! 900+ cards encouraging voters to GOTV for Amendment 4. Lots of familiar faces and camaraderie! We have truly bonded over 1,000s of postcards to folks in Jax and across the state! Great collaborations with Jax NOW,  Indivisible Mandarin, Indivisible Jax - RiversideBeaches Democratic Club, AAUW - St Augustine Branch and many more groups! We are winning this!


Sage Advice from Our Fav Messaging Guru


Share this email with your friends!

Only 8 days until the 2024 election!

3 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comentarios


© 2024 Beaches Activists Movement. Proudly created with Wix.com |  Terms of Use  |   Privacy Policy

bottom of page