[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE Green Party becomes 1st party to endorse StandingForVoters.org fair election pledge

Mon Oct 27 19:47:18 PDT 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Monday, October 27, 2008

Green Party becomes the first party to endorse the Standing For Voters
pledge to defend election integrity

• Green national candidates McKinney and Clemente sign on, along with
other Green candidates; Greens cite their leadership role in the 2004
Ohio and New Mexico recounts after evidence of vote theft

• Greens condemn GOP efforts to disqualify legitimate voters in the
2008 election

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Green Party of the United States has become the
first political party to endorse the Election Integrity Pledge
promoted by Standing For Voters (http://www.StandingForVoters.org), an
internet-based group inviting candidates to  pledge their commitment
to fair elections.

Along with the Green Party, several Green Party candidates have
pledged 'no early concessions' and actions challenging election
outcomes if necessary: presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney and
vice presidential candidate Rosa Clemente; US Congressional
candidates Carol Brouillet (Calif.-14), Rebecca Dewitt (Ariz.-4),
Harold Burbank (Conn.-5), and Mike Beilstein (Or.-4); and five
candidates for state and local offices: Dan Kairis of Illinois,
Richard Boyle of California, Rick Lass of New Mexico, Allan Hancock of
Minnesota, and Charles A. Pillsbury of Connecticut.

"Led by David Cobb, our 2004 presidential candidate, Greens organized
the response to the 2004 vote theft.  John Kerry and most of his
fellow Democrats did nothing after reports and evidence of GOP
election manipulation and obstruction of African American and young
voters surfaced.  Meanwhile, Greens filed for the recounts in Ohio and
New Mexico and raised most of the money for legal expenses.  It's our
special obligation and privilege to be the first party to sign on to
the Standing For Voters pledge," said Holly Hart, secretary of the
Green Party of the United States.

For more on Green leadership in the Ohio and New Mexico recounts,
visit IWantMyVote.com  (http://www.iwantmyvote.com).

In signing the pledge, Greens sharply condemned recent tactics that
have been used to obstruct and discourage voters, especially African
Americans in certain states, from voting.  Such tactics include
letters to voters falsely claiming that they've been declared
ineligible to vote, foreclosure lists denying right to vote because a
voter's address is "no longer valid," and vicious attacks on voter
registration efforts.

"The drastic efforts to disqualify legitimate voters suggests that
we'll see a repeat of Republican conspiracies to steal the national
election.  Will Democrats fight this time, or will they roll over
again and leave it to the Green Party?" asked Sanda Everette, co-chair
of the Green Party.

The documentary 'American Blackout' covers Cynthia McKinney's role in
the struggle for election integrity (http://www.americanblackout.com).
  A recent essay by Ms. McKinney also addresses the breakdown in fair
elections (OpEdNews.com, Oct. 7,
http://www.opednews.com/articles/-Where-s-Kenny-Rogers-When-by-Cynthia-McKinney-081007-748.html).

The Green Party advocates various systematic reforms to ensure fair,
accurate, and truly democratic elections, including public financing
of elections, free time on public airwaves for all candidates, repeal
of ballot access laws restricting alternative-party and independent
candidates, paper verification and open-source software for computer
voting systems, instant runoff voting, and proportional
representation.

According to the Standing For Voters pledge, signers promise to
challenge election results "if the combination of election conditions,
incident reports, and announced election results calls into question
the reliability of the official vote count."  Should another candidate
be declared the winner in a race, signers vow to "wait until all valid
votes are counted and all serious challenges resolved before conceding
defeat."

"We'd like to see all of the nation's political parties endorse
Standing For Voters, as the Green Party has done nationally," said
Emily Levy, Standing For Voters Project Coordinator.  "As participants
in what's commonly known as 'our democratic process,' all parties
should commit to fair elections.  We welcome endorsements from local,
state, and national party organizations, as well as other groups that
care about democracy."

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• Green candidate database for 2008 and other campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections
• 2008 Green candidates to watch
http://www.gp.org/2008-elections/candidate-news.php

Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente 'Power to the People' Campaign for the
White House
http://votetruth08.com
http://www.runcynthiarun.org

Cynthia McKinney on video
http://www.youtube.com/user/RunCynthiaRun
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=RunCynthiaRun
• BreakTheMatrix.com interview, Oct. 19:
http://www.breakthematrix.com/node/28047
• Democracy Now! interview, Oct. 16:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/16/breaking_the_sound_barrier_third
• Music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx1NPlQjkqo
Rosa Clemente on video
• Interview: Current TV/Rock the Vote
http://current.com/items/89335393_the_organizer_and_green_party_vp_candidate_talks_about_her_inspirations

~ END ~