WHAT IS VOTE BY MAIL?

Malfunctioning machines. Confused voters who can't read the complex ballot. Computer code that is kept secret by private corporations. Whole elections with no verifiable paper trail. Long lines and voter suppression tactics on election day.

It hasn't yet been getting much play, but there is a proven process to address all of these problems. That's right - a proven process. One that's been working in parts of the United States for over 20 years. The process is called Vote By Mail, or "VBM", and Democracy for Tennessee is getting ready to put its resources behind bringing this system to our state.
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Oregon has been using Vote By Mail for all of their elections since 1998 and the results have been astounding. No contested elections and no cases of fraud. A verifiable paper trail. No long lines at the polls. No malfunctioning or shortage of machines. An estimated savings of $3 million to taxpayers per election. And, just as importantly, voter turnout there has gone up ten percentage points since the implementation of VBM, reaching as high as 80% participation!

And despite the different plans being floated by different "election reform" organizations, Vote By Mail ensures greater integrity of the process than a simple "paper trail" requirement. Why? Voters don't always verify their selections on an electronically produced ballot. Also, machines can be programmed (in error or on purpose) to count one way and print a different vote on the "paper trail". This is the main reason that the national organization VotersUnite abandoned their voter-verified-paper trail initiative. VBM ensures that the intent of the voter is crystal clear.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Now that we've given you a brief overview of Vote By Mail, we need you to act to help us pass VBM in Tennessee. There are several bills filed in the legislature this session. Our activists have been meeting with the bill sponsors to strategize and find common ground, but all of them tell us that the way to bring a VBM initiative to critical mass is for the grassroots to get involved. Here are two ways for you to do that:

1) JOIN THE VOTE BY MAIL CAMPAIGN!

Visit the Vote By Mail for Tennessee website to get educated on VBM, to sign our petition, to download petitions for other people to sign, and to volunteer to help out on things like lobbying, writing letters, and other things we need to do to win. To join the VBM Campaign, visit www.VoteByMailTennessee.org.

2) COME TO THE VOTE BY MAIL TRAINING WORKSHOP ON APRIL 7!

There will be a VBM training on Saturday, April 7 in Nashville as part of the Democracy for Tennessee Convention. A representative from the national Vote By Mail Project is expected to attend. You will be trained on the finer points of VBM and given the materials to set up your own Town Hall Meeting in your community. Register for the VBM Workshop by visiting www.DFTConvention.com.

If counting all the votes and increasing participation in our democracy is your priority - like it is for us - then we ask you to support Vote By Mail. We also ask that you don't just support it, but actually help us pass a bill and make the changes our state needs.

We can do it, with your help.

JOIN US!