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Fun fact! When the Haudenosaunee / Iroquois decided (about 470 years ago) to end ongoing fighting between their five constituent nations, they: Agreed to bury their weapons, or a single symbolic weapon, under the Tree of Peace — a large tree of the area — an ◼︎ eastern white pine Pinus strobus. Created the Haudenosaunee / Iroquois Confederacy : ◦ a democratic system of government, ◦ with separate branches of government, ◦ and balance of power. A system of government that worked so well that 250 years later, and 225 years ago, the newly-birthed 🇺🇸 USA borrowed this system for its form of government, which it describes in its Constitution, later amended 27 times. And needing some election reforms, which I list in Step 7 ↓ below.
Why vote? Step 1: Register to vote
Step 2: How to vote Step 3: How to vote informed Step 4: ☑ VOTE!
Step 5: During the campaign, contact your neighbors Step 6: Anytime, contact your elected officials Step 7: For the future, electoral reform
Many elections are won or lost by less than one or two percent; some by only a few tens or hundreds of votes. It happens every election cycle. Vote to make a change, or to keep things the same. When we vote, we do make a difference. Not perfect, but better.
Or vote to give yourself a sense of pride and accomplishment. Watch the video ↖ above or to left. For full effect, select the video image, then icons ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, ▶︎ Play, and ⏯︎ ☒ Skip Ads.
Women weren't given the right to vote — they fought for it! For three generations, apparently. Remember that as your next election nears.
People of color are still fighting for their voting rights.
👥︎ Generation-Y and Generation-Z young people have far more at stake than us boomers. We will help you while we can, but after we are gone, the future is up to you. If you are Gen-Y or Gen-Z, or a 🕶 cool Boomer who understands urban symbology, please see Eminem explicit video Mosh ↗ above or to right, with support by a ▶︎ lyrics version. For full effect, select the video image or link button, then icons ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, ▶︎ Play, and ⏯︎ ☒ Skip Ads. Written 18 years ago, it still speaks to us today.
Hamilfans (fans of Hamilton ) … Rise up. — John Laurens and ensemble I wanna be in the room where it happens. — Aaron Burr I am not throwing away my shot! — Alexander Hamilton Must be nice to have Washington [DC, and your state and local governments?] on your side. — Aaron Burr Don't wait for it like Aaron Burr. History has its eyes on you. — George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and ensemble
This page provides some resources, to help you, with minimum work, VOTE:
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. — 🔊︎ Song Freewill, by band Rush.1980-01-14. For full effect, select the video link button, then icons ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, ▶︎ Play, and ⏯︎ ☒ Skip Ads.
Let's get started!
Right now, today …
You Can Vote Safely In-Person Despite Coronavirus. Here's How. Consumer Reports. October 10, 2020.
📅︎ A month before Election Day (or two or three) (now if you don't know when that might be), …
As it gets closer to time to vote, you will use your sample ballot to …
To vote informed, in every race — including those down-ballot races: Initiatives, judgeships and Drain Commissioner …
Take your 📄︎ sample ballot (from the previous step ) (📝︎ paper is better — if voting in-person, your 🛂︎ poll workers may have rules against using a 📱︎ phone in the voting booth), and 📝︎ mark it up according to your values, and whatever information is available to you.
🇺🇸 In the USA, this includes (here sorted by mixture of usefulness and alphabetical):
Now that you have your good summary, go through this information, and decide on your votes. Don't be afraid to vote for the better professional — the candidate that will best do that job, serving the people, even if you don't agree with that candidate's stands on some issues. Or vote for the centrist candidate — after the election, they will be easier to educate to your side. Or vote for the lessor evil. Until we get instant-runoff / preferential / ranked-choice voting RCV described ↓ below we may have to hold our noses, and vote for the least-offensive candidate. Making us 👃︎🤏 clothespin voters! Or vote for the woman, young person or non-traditional candidate!
☑ Vote when, where and how you found out back in Step 2, using the information you found out back in Step 3.
If your jurisdiction has 👥︎📫︎☑ universal mail-in voting or you wish to use 📫︎☑ absentee voting, prevent the most important threats to your vote not being counted: Mark your ballot as you intended back in Step 3, following the instructions provided. In my jurisdiction, this includes: ◦ using a ✎✎ blue or black pen, ◦ filling in ⬮⬮ the bubble completely. If instructed to by your jurisdiction, place your ballot inside the inner security envelope / security sleeve. In some jurisdictions, with the ballot tab sticking out. Not doing this risks having a naked ballot. Then place this in your outer return envelope / declaration envelope … ☑ Verify that you signed your name exactly as when you Registered. ◀Most common reason ballots are rejected! May be the same as on your Driver's License. May be consistent with your name in your ballot's address label. Put on today's date — not your birthday! Some jurisdictions require a witness signature! Some jurisdictions allow you to include a 📱︎☎ phone number and/or 📧︎ email address, for them to contact you if your ballot has a problem. [Sounds like a good idea to me.] Return your ballot to the polls before your jurisdiction's deadline. ◀Second-most common reason ballots are rejected! In my jurisdiction, you can do this by: ◦ ☑👤︎👥︎ In-person at the same clerk desk. ◦ ☑✉📮︎ In a secure dropbox, inside or outside your clerk's office. And in Washington State, outside each library! ◦ ☑✉📫︎ By mail. If needed, apply postage to outer return envelope / declaration envelope. In my jurisdiction, I believe it has to be received by the election board on or before Election Day — USPS says to mail 7 days before. If you mess up, all jurisdictions have a process where they will spoil your ballot and issue you a new ballot — see your Clerk! Most jurisdictions also have a website where you can check on the status of your vote: whether and when your request was received, whether and when your ballot was sent to you, and whether and when your ballot was received! [All three steps working for me in 2020 September and October!] If you are worried about the 📫︎ US mail: read Election Mail by USPS, sign up for USPS Informed Delivery, and consider eliminating a mail step or two … In 2020-August, we filled out our absentee ballot applications at home, and I turned them in at our Township Hall. (Your Clerk might be in your City Hall.) Our Township Clerk said they would mail out our ballots as soon as they got them, in a month. Then we can return our ballots (up to 45 days before the election) either: ☑👤︎👥︎ in-person at the same clerk desk, ☑✉📮︎ in a secure dropbox outside, or ☑✉📫︎ by mail. On my way out, I checked the 📮︎ dropbox — sturdy, steel, bolted well to the sidewalk. Any of these options seem fine. [And in October, they added another secure dropbox in the lobby, too!] Since our Township Hall is convenient to our home, and we can easily travel there during business hours, we dropped off our ballots at the clerk's office. And used the opportunity for a walk downtown in the sun. Lovely! "The hidden science of mail-in voting." PBS Nova Now. Thursday, August 27, 2020. or its 🔊︎ audio (Your browser does not support online audio control tag. Please use this link to the audio instead.)
If ☑👤︎👥︎ voting in-person, 📅︎ early or on Election Day: Take your 📝︎ marked-up sample ballot (from back in Step 3 ), and fold it into your pocket. Yes, it is legal to bring this paper into the voting booth with you — your 🛂︎ poll workers may have rules against using a 📱︎ phone in the voting booth. If you think you might run into ☑🛂︎ trouble while voting, please 📄︎ print anything you might need from the 🛂︎ trouble section ↓ below. If you have 🆔︎ government-issued picture-ID, bring it — that is simpler. If you do not have such id, vote anyway. Just be prepared for 🛂︎ poll workers to provide you a provisional ballot — hold them to it — it is your right to vote in this manner. When you get to the polling place, if presented with several precincts and you don't know your precinct number, ask a friendly poll worker (probably one of your neighbors), or turn around — there is probably a 🗺 precinct map posted on a wall or table nearby. When you get into the ballot booth, unfold your 📝︎ marked-up sample ballot, and use it as a guide to cast your ballot quickly and accurately. Including all those down-ballot races: initiatives, judgeships and Drain Commissioner!
If any ☑🛂︎ trouble while voting, in the 🇺🇸 USA, contact the: US Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline, 📱︎☎ 1-800-253-3931 or ACLU Election Protection Hotline: ◦ in English 📱︎☎ 1-866-OUR-VOTE or send an 📱︎💬 SMS text "OUR VOTE" to 97779, ◦ en Español/English, 📱︎☎ 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA ◦ in Arabic/English 📱︎☎ 1-844-418-1682 بالعربية or 📱︎☎ 1-844-YALLA-US بالعربية ◦ 🌏︎ Asian languages Bengali বাংলা, Chinese 中文, English, Hindi, Korean 한국어, Tagalog, Urdu ودرأ, and Vietnamese Tiếng Việt, 📱︎☎ 1-888-API-VOTE ◦ American Sign Language ASL ▶︎ video call, 📱︎💻︎ 1-301-818-VOTE or Michigan Bureau of Elections. 📱︎☎ 1-517-373-2540 — 🇺🇸 ACLU series Know Your Rights Voter Intimidation ( Michigan ACLU Know Your Voting Rights in English, Spanish en Español, in Arabic بالعربية ), Vote.org Election Protection, and Georgetown Law's fact sheet, and state[?] fact sheets, on voter-intimidation laws. If you see something, say something! If you expect 🛂︎ police contact, what to do with your electronics. (page 19)
After you vote:
Talk to your neighbors! Knock on doors for your favorite candidate! Run yourself! Or, if introverted, …
If you believe:
Now that you've helped vote in better public servants, keep in mind that they are merely better, not perfect. Therefore, you will have to do it all over again, for the next election cycle. But until then, your elected officials should be closer to your side, or at least more educable …
On the local level, you can attend your meetings of your local City Council, Planning Commission and such. At your first meeting, you will learn that the agenda is often on a chair or rack by the door, or you can get it ahead-of-time online. After a few meetings, 🗣 speak up during Call to the Public, even if only to say, "name, address, I agree with the other person who just spoke in favor of that."
Eventually, you will recognize your local officials, and be surprised how often you run into them at the local 🏞 park or hardware store. So have your elevator pitch ready on your favorite subjects, like "I think we need to add sparkle lights at this particular intersection — cars are not stopping for pedestrians!"
On a larger level, the contact info for some elected officials are at 🇺🇸 USA everywhere Michigan.
Learn how to 👂︎ listen, understand, and think critically, including:
If you:
Two of my relatives do this. One new in 2022; another has been doing it most of her life!
In Michigan, Michigan Voter Information Center > link Become a poll worker.
If your jurisdiction votes with a system that does not provide:
This will make sense if you have seen the movie Terminator … Keep it Simple, Keep it Dumb, Or else you'll end up under Skynet's Thumb. — Isaak Arthur ▶︎ video Terrifying Aliens, at 15m51s.
If you want to increase voter participation, especially:
Some fine points:
Jungle primary elections (specifically, a top-four primary) is Solution 1 in the Gehl-Porter election-reform trifecta, as listed in radio podcast Freakonomics episode 356 at 42m35s 🔊︎ audio (Your browser does not support online audio control tag. Please use this link to the audio instead.)
Just after our first-ever 2020–2021 Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission MICRC released their new district maps, a 👀︎ quick look makes me think for:
Fix the remaining 10%? Good enough until the next round of redistricting in 2030–2031? Declare victory for the whole Proposal 2 (18-2) (182) process?
(At least for jurisdictions of water and land management, as envisioned as "watershed commonwealths" by John Wesley Powell back in 1890!)
For example, using 🇺🇸 USA EPA 🗺 map on ArcGIS > icon ⊞ Select a Basemap > map USGS National Map, I would live in the:
For a deep dive into this subject, watch video The Problem With the USA's Borders, ↗ above or to right, particularly the middle third. For full effect, select the video image, then icons ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, ▶︎ Play, and ⏯︎ ☒ Skip Ads.
Watch the Isaak Arthur video Government Types of the Future, ↖ above or to left. For full effect, select the video image, then icons ⛶ fullscreen, ㏄ captions, ▶︎ Play, and ⏯︎ ☒ Skip Ads.
🏠︎ 🏠︎ home page getting free Credit Reports, Fraud Alerts, FICO scores, credit counseling, and handling identity theft and phishing attacks
--Eric Piehl comments on web vote.html v1.0.8.4 2022-09-29, copyright © 2018-2022 by Eric Piehl.