by Wendy Greenfield, Jewish Voice for Peace
South Bay Jewish Voice for Peace is endorsing the “Count All Votes” day of action on November 4th at San Jose City Hall. It is increasingly clear that we we are not likely to know the results of the elections the night of November 3rd. There have been numerous instances of voter suppression around the country and suggestions that state legislatures should disregard the popular vote and elect their own electors to the Electoral College. Lawsuits have been filed to disqualify drive-in voting and to stop counting ballots that arrive after Election Day in states that permit their arrival for several days afterwards.
In the U.S. News article, Could a Few State Legislatures Choose the Next President?, Augstin Sarat, Professor of Jurisprudence at Amhurst College argues that, “In the end, however, the most effective forces blocking state legislatures from disregarding the popular vote may be political, rather than legal. It is, after all, up to the people to hold their officials accountable for their actions.”
On November 4th, people in cities around the country will demonstrate the will of the people for free and fair elections with every vote counted. Join us to protect our democracy at this critical moment in our history! At San Jose City Hall, there will be a full day of activities starting from 11 AM and continuing through 8 PM. See the flyer for details. Even after November 4th, activities to demand a complete count of the votes are likely to continue. We’ll keep you informed!
We understand that some in our community may be unable to participate in person because of safety concerns due to Covid or worries about interactions with the police. While we know that the organizers of the November 4th actions are taking precautions to ensure social distancing and mask-wearing and are training participants both before and on November 4th in Peace and De-escalation strategies, we know that there may be some level of risk involved. We are therefore offering alternative ways for people who cannot be there physically to support those who will be there:
Please email southbay at jewishvoiceforpeace.org with your name and phone number if you can:
• provide financial support
• transportation
• childcare
• pet care
Check out the following resources to learn more about possible scenarios and how you can participate in the defense of democracy:
- Stopping a Coup: The 2020 Guide.
- Shut Down DC has resources for people outside of the DC Area
- If Not Now is holding non-violent direct action trainings daily.
- An intergenerational training on Oct 27th on How to Prepare for an Attempted Coup held by 1000 Grandmothers, Kehilla, and Jewish Youth in Community Action
- Post-election call for all JVP members > Thursday, Nov 5, 5-6:15PT More info at: https://act.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/VIC70b-HnkeX_wX39JkDzg2
- Protect the Results is building a coalition to respond to any attempt to steal the election
- Hold The Line: A Guide to Defending Democracy is a helpful guide for understanding some of the scenarios we need to be planning for in the case of a contested election.