Downstate membership meeting 5/19 at 7 pm

Abbreviated e-newsletter from the Midwest Democracy Center 
(www.midwestdemocracy.org)

This Wednesday the Midwest Democracy Center will be holding our 
Downstate membership meeting and lobby day in Springfield.

We'll meet at 7 pm at the Heartland Peace Center (830 S. College) in 
Springfield, and lobby Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning for 
support for cumulative voting rights and instant runoff voting.

Our biggest push is to include the language from HB 4139 that would 
permit election authorities to send overseas absentee voters a 
special instant runoff voting ballot in those elections holding a 
runoff in 2005.

This legislation would make it easier for overseas voters, especially 
servicemen and women on active duty, to participate in the 2005 
elections.

It would also start getting election authorities more comfortable 
with ranked ballots.

Please contact Dan Johnson-Weinberger at 312.587.7060 to RSVP for the 
membership meeting, or just show up Wednesday evening.

In other news, our new Field Organizer Mary Schumann has been busy 
following up on the passage of HB 138 by contacting county board 
members across the state and telling them about the ability to give 
cumulative voting rights in county elections.

If you are interested in securing cumulative voting rights in your 
county elections, please contact Mary for a factsheet at 773.791.2015.