Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Democracy is Coming to Arizona - Come be part of it.


Unless the US Justice Dept disagrees, the date for turning in Arizona
sigs for Green Party ballot status is March 6, 2008, at the County
Recorders of the appropriate counties. [The DOJ clears Arizona election
laws before they are effective-- thanks to our state's racist misbehavior
in the past.]

However, if we were to turn in our sigs by November 3, 2007, we would be
eligible to participate in the state-paid-for February presidential
primaries. [Assuming that they are held on Feb 26. The governor can set
them at a different date, and that would move that deadline forward or
back. She has to do it within 150 days of the date she set.] It would be
wonderful to have our presidential primary paid for by the state of
Arizona.

We are trying to recruit Greens to come to AZ and help. You'd have to
pairs with us, to be legal, so we need to plan. Give us 4+ hours a day,
and we'll put you up. Anytime is good, but I have dates and events, in
Tucson, Phoenix, Prescott-- that would be worth pulling in folks from
other states. Will you come?

Of the 30,000 sigs we need, we have over 5000. We have been at it for
several months, but we are now battling record heat, over 100 degrees,
every day. Our volunteers are willing to stand in the heat, but folks
who might sign are not, and most indoor possibilities have been done.
But the summer rains should be here before the Annual National Meeting is
over, and things will cool down, and we will be at it again.

We are targeting Maricopa County [where Phoenix is], because it has two
thirds of the state's population, and each signature gathered there will
count as ballot status for both state races and county races. Pima
County [where Tucson is] is the other large metro area [one fifth of the
state's population], but it already has county ballot status, so we lose
the 2 for 1 pay-off. However, if you have connections here, come on
down--we'll welcome you!

Phoenix is a hub city for airlines, so may be cheaper traveling. Come
now, we'll transport you up to the mountains--Prescott, where it is
cooler. You can help with the ballot drive for Yavapai County.
[Remember Leenie Halbert, from Louisiana? She is in Prescott now, has a
baby and another on the way.] Driving? Bus? Train? Phoenix and Tucson
are on I-10, and Flagstaff [where we can meet you] is on I-40. Amtrak to
Tucson and to Flagstaff.

Contact Claudia Ellquist [Tucson] or Richard Scott [Phoenix] for more
information. Claudia is at and ellquist.co.atty at juno.com.
Richard is at or rscotttoo at hotmail.com

Can't come, but want to help? We can get folks to gather signatures here
for $12, who are good enough to make a living wage at it. Make checks to
AzGP, with memo line "ballot status campaign, and send to PO Box 6014
Tucson AZ 85703.
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