Did Your Vote Count?

This is a question in the news as several of the Primary elections held last week have been disputable.
In Windsor, as of yesterday, ONE VOTE made the difference.  Here is the link to CT News Junkie's report on the last of several recounts in that District. And here is the link to New Haven Independent's story on the tight race in the 116th district.

After every election since September of 2008 I have served as a volunteer with the Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition's observing of the Election Audits.I have observed something like 8 or more Audits.

What happens is this: The Secretary of the State randomly selects 10% of the elections held so that the machines and the ballot count can be verified. In the upcoming Audit this will be for votes placed on August 14th. On a designated day the Registrars and their staff (and helpers) run an Audit of ballots processed through the voting machines.

Citizen Observers are there to assist in the ongoing effort to ensure the integrity of the vote and create statewide procedures.

It is easy and (call me a nerd, I dare you!) it is fun.

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Sign-up Now for the August 2012 Post-Election Audit!

Connecticut Voters
Want to Know

You can help
provide answers!

Investment? One Day
Value to Democracy? Priceless

The Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition (League of Women Voters of Connecticut, Common Cause, Connecticut Citizen Action Group, and CTVotersCount.org) organizes citizen volunteers to observe the Connecticut Post-Election Audits.

• Is the chain-of-custody followed? How are the votes tallied?
• Can we have confidence in our optical scanners?
• Can we have confidence that the intent of the voters was reflected in the election result?

Here is your chance to make a difference!!!
To fully cover the  post-election audits, we need more observers in every region of Connecticut.
You are invited to become part of our non-partisan observer corps for the upcoming primary and election.  The Coalition will provide observer materials and one hour of training via conference call. Citizens observers will donate up to one full day observing and reporting during the audit period following the election or primary.
Without our volunteer observers and you, nobody but a small number of local election officials would know what happens in post-election audits. 

Affordable Care Act - Learn More and Celebrate

Celebrate the 2^nd anniversary

of the Affordable Care Act

Thursday, March 22 -- 4:00 PM

La Paloma Sabanera Coffeehouse

405 Capitol Avenue, Hartford

Featured Speaker:

Richard Kirsch

Author of

Fighting For Our Health

The Epic Battle to Make Health Care a Right in the United States

Richard Kirsch, a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, spent three years on the front lines as head of the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, Health Care for America Now. He worked alongside other progressive organizations from across the country to defeat opposition from powerful insurance industry lobbies resulting in passage of the Affordable Care Act. 

Copies of Kirsch’s books will be available during a book signing scheduled to follow a brief program during which the author and other speakers will talk about the high-stakes this year for states like Connecticut, where powerful vested interests are trying to hijack state reform. Kirsch and others will also discuss the upcoming Supreme Court hearings on the Affordable Care Act

 For more information on the event, contact John Murphy murphy@ccag.net or 860.995.3389

To get involved in the fight for health care reform, log on to http://www.universalhealthct.org/

Rabble Rousing in Meriden November 18th

Please Join the Connecticut Citizen Action Group in Celebrating
Forty Years of Citizen Activism

The Four Points Sheraton

275 Research Pkwy, Meriden CT 06450
Friday November 18th, 2011
6:30 to 9:30 P.M.

Silent Auction, Hearty Hors d'Oeuvres, Rabble Rousing, Award Presentation

You can view auction items and register online by visiting www.ccag.net

This Year’s Recipient of the Nancy Benedict Social Justice Award:
Hillary Zinser-Russell

This is how I remember Nancy Benedict.

 RSVP by November 11th, 2011 to:
Jeff Schwartz: (860) 233-2181 x 313 E-mail: Jeff@ccag.net
CCAG 30 Arbor St Ste 6N, Hartford, CT 06106

The Nancy Benedict Social Justice award is in honor and memory of long-time social activist Nancy Benedict who spent her entire adult life in the struggles for social justice and peace.