If You Want to Be a Voter / Ballad of Sarasota (Lori Rosolowsky)

Originally published by Coalition for Voting Integrity at http://mysite.verizon.net/resq4lzq/cvi/id292.html

"If You Want to Be a Voter (The Ballad of Sarasota)"

Click here to Play mp3 Permission is granted to download this song. Please state authorship as "Words and music by Lori Rosolowsky, copyright 2007." Throughout history, music has been used to chronicle events as well as influence and motivate people to action, often transcending time and place. For example, the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome" was sung by the Chinese during the Tiananmen Square uprising for democracy in 1989. Coalition for Voting Integrity co-founder Mary Ann Gould recognized the potential that music could have in the voting integrity movement and asked me to write a song, specifically about the Sarasota 2006 congressional election. Mary Ann and I had many extensive discussions about the lyrics and she convinced me that the song could be more than a symbolic statement about voting integrity and democracy--that it could be used as a tool to educate citizens and lawmakers about exactly what we are demanding: the ability to see our vote, to have proof it was counted, and that DRE machines be banned. Her vision, inspiration, and direction were critical to the end result. Verse 1 Woody Guthrie said this land was made for you and me He walked where soldiers paved the way for our democracy Like Trenton, Saratoga, New Orleans, the Alamo Well, there's another battleground, a place you ought to know Chorus If you want to be a voter, don't count on Sarasota Because in Sarasota your vote doesn't have to count Eighteen thousand votes are missing, and the media ain't listening Electronic voting's in, democracy is out Verse 2 I walked up to the courthouse and heard the people say Something rotten happened here on Election Day The judge said, "Sorry, people, you can't look at what's inside These machines are corporate secrets, this ain't the time for civic pride 2nd Chorus If you want to be a voter, don't count on Sarasota Because the judge here told us, "Your vote doesn't have to count" Eighteen thousand votes are missing, is anybody listening? Electronic voting's in, democracy is out Verse 3 Then I saw a crowd of people by the county jail Hundreds held up signs that said, "Democracy for sale" So I telephoned my sister who is serving in Iraq She said, "Keep up the fight in Florida and take our country back!" Bridge Where does it say That machines should have the right to take our vote away? 3rd Chorus Listen to the voters who fight for Sarasota We have the right to see our vote, have proof it really counts Raise your voices and demand That DRE machines be banned Everywhere, across this land, democracy—that's what it's all about Coda Woody Guthrie said this land was made for you and me Words & music by Lori Rosolowsky © 2007 All rights reserved

The Story Behind the Song

When I tell people I've written a song about the voting fiasco in Sarasota, Florida, they think I am referring to the 2000 election. But in November 2006, Florida was the site of another controversial election. In the 13th Congressional District race, 18,000 votes were lost! That represents 15% of the votes cast for that particular race that were not counted, and for which no independent means (like a paper ballot) exists to retrieve the votes. Media coverage of this election has been poor--groups like CVI have kept this issue, and its aftermath, alive. This song is one way to communicate to the country and our representatives that what happened in Sarasota is unacceptable. The song opens with a reference to Woody Guthrie and "This Land Is Your Land." Most people are surprised to learn that several verses into his song, Guthrie sings, "As I went walking, I saw a sign there/On the sign it said, 'No Trespassing'/But on the other side it didn't say nothing/That side was made for you & me!" He then sings of people standing in relief lines and he asks, "Is this land made for you and me?" That's also what we ask through this song. Guthrie criss-crossed this land, becoming a social activist along the way. He communicated through his songs. We continue the tradition. The first verse names Trenton, Saratoga (not Sarasota), New Orleans and the Alamo--all sites of key battles in our country's history--battles that literally shaped the configuration of our country. Trenton was the site of George Washington's pivotal victory against the British on Christmas 1776, giving the American troops the psychological boost they needed to win the Revolutionary War and gain independence from Britain. The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 represented another decisive victory for American troops. In 1815, the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans forced the British to recognize United States' claims to Louisiana and West Florida and marked Louisiana's political incorporation into the Union. (In this post-Katrina world, New Orleans also conjures up the question: "Is this land made for you and me?") Finally, we "remember the Alamo" as a heroic struggle against overwhelming odds, which freed Texas from Mexico. Now we have a new type of battleground: Sarasota. Not bloody like its predecessors, but rather an insidious violation of our democracy, for which those battles were fought. In December 2006, a judge ruled that the code programmed into the DRE (Direct Record Electronic) machines used in Sarasota was proprietary, and thus the people did not have a right to examine it. (There are ways to audit and examine code without revealing trade secrets, of course.) This is the situation described in the second verse of the song. The third verse goes on to describe the activism of people across Florida, who have held a rally demanding a re-vote, and highlights the irony that we are purportedly fighting for democracy in Iraq, when it is slipping through the cracks here at home. The image of activists at a county jail is meant to symbolize our imprisoned rights. While groups like SAFE (Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections) in Florida have been smart and active, even proactive--they succeeded in getting a referendum passed in November to prevent the very disaster from happening again in the future--the rest of the country is largely ignorant of events. The song then rhetorically asks: Where does it say that machines should have the right to take our vote away? DRE machines have not only lost votes (as in Sarasota), but changed them...either way, the voters' intent, and therefore, their rights, are violated. The song ends with the rallying cry that DRE machines--the machines used in Sarasota and around the country--be banned. The optical scan machines, which electronically count paper ballots, give voters the ability to see and have proof that their votes have been counted accurately and securely. Thank you for listening to the song. Please forward it to friends, neighbors and, especially, lawmakers! Let them HEAR you! –Lori Rosolowsky To make a donation toward the recording costs for "If You Want to Be a Voter (The Ballad of Sarasota)," make checks payable to Coalition for Voting Integrity, memo "If You Want to Be a Voter"; mail to Coalition for Voting Integrity, P.O. Box 536, Doylestown, PA 18901. Or contribute online Even if you don't have a PayPal account, PayPal will process your VISA or MasterCard payment with just a few clicks.

Little Black Box (Laramie Crocker)

Music written and performed by Laramie Crocker Click here to listen: http://provisionalauthority.us/mp3/LaramieCrocker-LittleBlackBox.mp3 Little Black Box little black boxes in cute little rows screen that says "touch me", so cheerfully glows no paper trail, a make believe poll cast your vote down the memory hole [chorus]: The little black box where your little vote goes down and down the memory hole O where o where did your little vote go nobody knows little black box little black box little black boxes all in a row No printouts, no proof, nothing to show golden eggs of democracy where did you go? the foxes have taken the chickens below round and round and round she goes where she stops nobody knows place your bets, hold your nose cross your fingers, cross your toes Visit Laramie Crocker's homepage: http://LaramieCrocker.com

My Vote Don't Matter Anymore (Victoria Parks)

My Vote Don't Matter Anymore

Written and performed by Victoria Parks Click here to Play MP3 We stood in lines outside three hours, maybe four A rainy November second, Two-Thousand-Four All across our nation, too many to ignore We turned out in numbers they'd never seen before I should know dear, I've been voting here since the second world war My name is Amos Connelly Now they're telling me My vote don't matter anymore They took my name They purged it from the roll What they gained Cannot compare with what they stole This is my democracy Don't you go telling me My vote don't matter anymore, and is not worth fighting for The fix was in That's all she wrote They did not win Our hearts, our minds, our vote With what is known The evidence is clear I'm not alone There are thousands of us here This is my democracy Don't you go telling me My vote don't matter anymore and is not worth fighting for This is our democracy We'll fight to keep it free You won't go tell-ing me Our vote don't matter anymore Our vote is well worth fighting for Our vote is well worth fighting for ©2004 Victoria Parks To visit Victoria Parks' home page: http://www.victoriaparks.com/music.html The True Story Behind the Song Victoria Parks writes: An elderly African American gentleman, probably octagenarian, carried himself with great dignity to the microphone during public testimony before the Franklin County Board of Elections in January of '05 following the (S)election of 2004 and the bogus Ohio Recount. His demeanor was so sincere and he was in obvious emotional pain. It had taken a great deal of energy and courage for him to come testify. He stated he had never missed voting in an election since the time he was first able to vote. He said he had always voted at the same precinct. Poll workers knew him by name. But, in November of 2004, he came to sign his name in the book as he always had and was told his name had been purged from the rolls. Why? He was forced to vote provisionally and he did not know if his vote was counted. I was infuriated and deeply moved by his story. I changed his name in my song. I called him "Amos," after my school bus driver from childhood. Amos could have been any African American. He worked hard and never missed a day of work. He paid his taxes and he voted. He did everything you are supposed to do. He was a solid citizen whose vote didn't matter anymore. I gave him the last name of Connelly after C. Ellen Connelly, an underfunded African American judge from Cleveland running for Ohio Supreme Court Justice in '04. In some Black precincts in Cleveland, Connelly received more votes than John Kerry—a highly dubious circumstance. We suspect this was the result of "Catapillar Crawl," a term coined by Dr. Richard Hayes Phillips to describe a pattern found on punchcard ballots. The order of candidate names on the ballot is varied from one precinct to the next in a process called ballot rotation. If ballots cast in the correct precinct are counted in another precinct with a different ballot rotation, vote marks will register as votes for different candidates than the voters intended. The evidence says this is one way Kerry votes were shifted to Bush, and how Connelly votes were shifted to Thomas Moyer, the Ohio Supreme Court justice re-elected with very odd numbers. Moyer then ruled against our brave election protection attorneys, claiming that The People v Ohio n Florida (brought on behalf of disenfranchised Ohio voters) was "without merit," a frivolous lawsuit. For this our election protection attorneys were rudely sanctioned by Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro. The sanctions were later lifted following an amicus brief filed by Congressman Conyers. After the stolen Ohio election of '04, I swore I would dedicate myself to this cause. As an artist I knew I should "be the media" because I would have no better way to speak truth to power. Amos Connelly embodies all the hopes and dreams of a free people who possess the inalienable right to defend their democracy by preserving their right to have their votes counted and their voices heard. Amos Connelly will not go quietly. God bless Amos Connelly! To give voice to him was the least I could do.

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Other songs by Victoria Parks

Victoria (Victrola) Parks sang "W begins with DUH" and "What our Children Is Learning" at the "Save Progressive Radio Benefit" held at Victorians Midnight Cafe in Columbus, Ohio, USA in the early spring of 07. W begins with DUH http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8223578195729655279&hl=en What our Children Is Learning http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5017478332380864344&hl=en

They Lost My Vote (Ellen Bukstel & Nancy Wuerzburger)

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They Lost My Vote © 2006, words & music by Ellen Bukstel and Nancy Wuerzburger Click To Listen (MP3)
Tuesday in November I took that stroll To cast my ballot at the local poll The lines were long but I didn’t care I had water, a hat, and my folding chair Walked up to the booth, didn’t say a word Was sure that my voice would be heard I hit that button, my vote was sent But now nobody knows exactly where it went They lost my vote— it isn’t fair I took a stand, doesn’t anybody care? They lost my vote— now do you know Where......................did my ballot go? After the election I was filled with pride Waitin' for my vote to be verified Lookin' for the news of my country’s fate The election was over . . . now there’s no more debate I surfed the TV all night long Wanted to know what was going on To get some honest information I watched Jon Stewart on the comedy station They lost my vote— it isn’t fair I took a stand, doesn’t anybody care? They lost my vote— now do you know Where......................did my ballot go? I wanted to make sure that democracy Was working the way that it was supposed to be I just wanted someone to listen to me The way the Constitution promised me If we can land a rocketship on the moon Or make a cell phone ring in our favorite tune If we can send sound waves through the air Then votin’ machines should be countin’ fair Anyone can hack the files and push delete There'll be no proof and I got no receipt Let’s get the system under control And the final results will match the exit poll They lost my vote— it isn’t fair I took a stand, doesn’t anybody care? They lost my vote— now do you know Where......................did my ballot go? I lost my faith in the government When they changed the rules without my consent Don’t wanna be nobody’s experiment I just want to know where my ballot went They lost my vote, I made my choice Does anybody care to hear my voice? They lost my vote -- was that the plan? Nobody, nobody nobody nobody knows . . . That I took a stand

Attachment	Size
Lost My Vote Mastered.mp3	4.98 MB