VoteTrustUSA - VoteTrustUSA National Leadership Workshop & Strategy Session for e-Voting Reform Leaders

Lots of news on Vote Trust USA’s National Leadership Workshop and Strategy Session at George Washington University in DC June 10-12, plus the latest information on the June 9-10 Lobby Days we’re co-sponsoring with Common Cause, VerifiedVoting.org, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and many other groups.

If you’re a leader of one of the 60 or more state and locally-based e-voting reform groups working to to improve the laws and regulations governing voting systems and election administration, this event is for you! Don’t miss this important weekend of strategizing, learning and collaboration with other leaders from states across the country , including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington State.

The National Leadership Workshop and Strategy Session offer an unprecedented opportunity to build on the knowledge and experience of leaders from around the country. During this highly participative and collaborative weekend, we’ll explore the next steps each of us needs to take on our journey to restoring transparency, integrity and accountability to America’s electoral process. Working together, we can amplify our voices, strengthen our impact, and build roadmaps to help reach our individual and organizational goals. Take a look at the agenda for a closer look at this unique event.

About the “I Count” Lobby Days

We’ve scheduled the National Leadership Workshop and Strategy Session to immediately follow the “I Count” Lobby Days for HR 550, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act, introduced by US Representative Rush Holt of New Jersey. We need your help in our nation's capitol on Thursday and Friday, June 9 and 10 , to urge Members of Congress to co-sponsor this bill, guaranteeing voter-verified paper records and a percentage of required random audits for every state. Sign up to take part in the Lobby Days at http://www.workingassets.com/meeting.cfm?mcampid=16.

If you have never lobbied before, don’t worry. Common Cause is holding a training session on the morning of June 9, where you’ll get plenty of tips, and all the information you’ll need. With your help, we’ll get enough co-signers onboard to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote.

Meet us on June 9 for Common Cause’s activist training 9 a.m. to noon at the Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, DC. From there, we’ll fan out across the Hill for meetings with members of Congress and staff from noon to 5 p.m. at Capitol Hill office buildings Also on the Thursday’s agenda is a coalition-sponsored reception with special guest, Rep. Rush Holt. We hear there might be other special guests there as well!

Friday morning June 10, there’s a Capitol press conference with Rep. Holt at HC-7, on the House side of the Capitol Building. You’ll have a chance to take part in activists’ blogging and media availability from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along with additional lobbying visits.

From Capitol Hill, we’ll move to the Marvin Center at George Washington University for the Opening Dinner and Discussion of VoteTrustUSA’s Leadership Workshop and Strategy Session, with Conference Registration from 6:30-7:00 pm. Following dinner, we’ll move into a participative group discussion entitled “Building Coalition: Hearing Our Voices, Sharing Our Views”

We’ve made arrangements with the State Plaza Hotel http://www.stateplaza.com/ to offer a bloc of rooms to our conference attendees for $129.00 per room per night. The third person in a room costs just $20 more. Rooms are on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please mention VoteTrustUSA Group #8113 when you make your reservation. The State Plaza is located at 2117 E Street, NW, not far from Capitol Hill and just a few blocks from the George Washington University conference site.

Click here for the full conference agenda. Please contact Kevin Zeese at for more information and to confirm that you’ll join us in DC -- for the Lobby Days if possible -- and especially for the Vote Trust USA Leadership Workshop and Strategy Session. You won’t regret it!