[Peace] Election information and advice

[Danielle Chynoweth]

Dear friends and neighbors,

Tomorrow is election day!  Polls are open 6am - 7pm.  

Verify your voter registration status, find your polling place, and see 
your ballot by entering your info at: 
https://www.champaigncountyclerk.com/registrationstatus.asp.  

If you or anyone you know has trouble voting, please call the legal 
hotline at: 398-1018.  Do not accept a provisional ballot at the polls.  
They are not counted except by court order.  Instead call the hotline.  
New voters will need 2 forms of ID showing their registration address - 
the voter card does not qualify.

I would like to share with you how I am voting on three questions on the 
end of the ballot and why:

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VOTE NO ON AT-LARGE
The LAST thing on Urbana's ballot is called  "At-Large City Council 
Representation."  This would add two city council seats elected city-wide.

What's wrong with that?
-->   At-large elections are proven to dilute minority & student votes.
-->   At-large injects big money & special interests into local elections.
-->   Hundreds of cities nationwide have eliminated at-large elections.

Voting NO is endorsed by:
-->   NAACP of Champaign County
-->   Independent Voters of Illinois
-->   Champaign County Democratic Party and College Democrats
-->   Graduate Employees Organization (GEO)
-->   UCAN: the King School/Crystal Lake neighborhood association
-->   30 current and former Urbana elected officials including former 
Mayor Hiram Paley, City Clerk Phyllis Clark, NW Urbana councilmember Jim 
Hayes, and former SE Urbana councilmember John Taylor.

Find out more: http://www.NoAtLarge.org

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VOTE YES TO AN ELECTION COMMISSION
As you may know, Champaign County has a long and shameful history of 
election day voter suppression, particularly in African-American 
neighborhoods and on the University campus.  The problem is that the 
election authority for the county is an elected politician who makes major 
decisions that impact voters behind closed doors.

The November ballot will have a referendum question on whether to create
an independent, multi-party, appointed Election Commission, which if
passed would take on all election-related responsibilities of both the
County Clerk and the County Board.  All decisions of the Election
Commission would be made in open meetings.  Having at least the two
dominant parties (by law a third party rep could also be appointed to the
commission) present would mean greater oversight in election processes.

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VOTE YES ON A TAX TO SUPPORT PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
This would create a new pool of funding for people with developmental 
disabilities in Champaign County.  The current population is underserved 
and so additional funding is needed.  Once passed, it is important that a 
commission be appointed that does not favor one provider over others.
 
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In addition, other votes I will be making are:

JULIA RIETZ FOR STATE'S ATTORNEY
We have a State's Attorney whose claim to fame is winning maximum 
penalties for African-Americans and poor people in this county - some for 
the pettiest of crimes.  See http://thebradysmithcase.com/ for details 
about Piland's misdeeds.  We have chance to elect a Julia Rietz who has 
shown she will engage the community for change adding balance to an office 
that has been the bastion of unfairness in this county.  

NAOMI JAKOBSSON FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Naomi has stayed in close touch with her constituents over the last 2 
years.  She successfully advocated for state funding for our library, has 
worked for health care reform, and supports important civil rights 
measures in Illinois.  

PHYLLIS CLARK FOR CIRCUIT CLERK
Ms. Clark has been an excellent City Clerk for Urbana and would serve the 
county well.

JENNY PUTMAN (COUNTY BOARD DISTRICT 8)
Ms. Putman has served on the county board for 26 years.  She sponsored the 
passage of a Living Wage for County employees, and added sexual 
orientation as a protected class to the county personnel policy, and is a 
strong progressive voice on the County Board.

BARACK OBAMA FOR U.S. SENATOR
I wish Obama was running for President. 'nuf said.  The man is brilliant.  
Even my Republican friends are voting for him.

JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT
We must rid the world of the Presidency of George W. Bush who has
sqaundered what good will we had with the global community.  Once Kerry is
elected, I urge you to join me to travel to his inauguration January 20th
to demand an end to the killing in Iraq.  We have now surpassed 100,000 
Iraqi civilian casualties. 1,000 U.S. soliders dead and 30,000+ wounded.


I will also be voting NO for JUDGE STEIGMANN's retention as judge.  He has 
proven himself to be an extreme conservative.  His approach to criminal 
justice is extraordinarily punitive rather than restorative.  He needs to 
go.


Danielle Chynoweth
Urbana City Council, Ward 4