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Standing For Voters, the internet-based group asking candidates to pledge their commitment to fair elections, congratulates The Green Party of the United States on becoming the first political party to call on its candidates to take the Standing For Voters pledge.
Eleven Green Party candidates have currently pledged ‘no early concessions’ and to ‘challenge elections’ if necessary: Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney; Vice Presidential candidate Rosa Clemente; U.S. Congressional candidates Carol Brouillet (CA-14), Rebecca Dewitt (AZ-4), Harold Burbank (CT-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.
“The Green Party led the efforts for recounts in Ohio and New Mexico in 2004 after thousands of complaints of voting irregularities. We consider the demand for fair and accurate elections a special goal of the Green Party,” says ” Scott McLarty, Green Party Media Coordinator.
The growing non-partisan effort also boasts pledges from twelve Democrats, one Republican, and five independent/non-partisan candidates in local, state, and federal races.
“We’d like to see all of the nation’s political parties endorse Standing For Voters, as the Green Party has done nationally,” says 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.”
Two of the six presidential candidates running national campaigns have taken the pledge: McKinney and independent candidate Ralph Nader. Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain has yet signed, nor has Libertarian candidate Bob Barr or Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin.
Levy encourages groups and individuals to invite the candidates they support to sign the pledge. “Telling candidates about StandingForVoters.org is an easy way voters can make sure their candidates understand the challenges to fair elections posed by massive targeted disenfranchisement, voter suppression efforts, and electronic voting equipment that can easily be rigged or hacked,” says Levy. “Candidates ask us, the voters, to stand for them. Now it’s time that they also make a commitment to ‘Standing For Voters.'”
The full list of candidates who have pledged is available at www.StandingForVoters.org. Groups are invited to endorse the project by emailing info@StandingForVoters.org. Additional endorsing groups include VotersUnite.Org and Democrats.Com.
Filed under: Ballot issues, cynthia mckinney, election, Election 2008, elections, grassroots democracy, Green Party Websites, Green Presidential Campaign 2008, Political Websites, presidential race, US Politics
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