Arkansas Blog

By the way -- that is not the end of the line. That is about halfway down the line. The actual building where the polls are can barely be seen, it's so far away.

Here in Florida I am part of the advance team for a rally to be held in Daytona Beach on Sunday with Senator Joe Biden and his wife Jill. My job is crowd - I'm referred to as C2 - which means I'm supposed to find a few thousand people to come to the event tomorrow night. Other team members include Lead, who coordinates with Chicago and manages all of us, Press 1 and 2, Site 1 and 2, and Motorcade. Our Lead and Press folks have been working advance since 2000 and 1996 (for President Clinton!) respectively.

Today my jobs included printing flyers, posters, and VIP tickets for the event, distributing them to field offices, voting places, and other community groups, and wrangling the regional field directors to divert some of their volunteers away from Get Out The Vote to pass out those flyers, make calls, and otherwise getting people psyched about the rally. We have some other methods that are pretty cool, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to talk about them. Just really amazing abilities to target voters and combine Get Out The Vote with the rally.

I also hosted a painting party (more pictures to come from that) at a field office in the neighboring county -- about 20 kids and their parents helped handpaint signs and banners for the event tomorrow. We got a lot of Obama Mama signs, Kids For Obama, We Love Joe and Jill, and my personal favorite, Joe the Senator. They'll add a lot of great color to the pictures for newspapers and TV.

I have to go take a nap now, because we will be building our site from midnight to 8 am. Normally we would build our set during the day, but we are using the really nice basketball arena at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and they have a game tonight at 8, so we can't get in until after it's over.

Building the site is a huge process - we'll actually build a stage, we'll light the entire room, construct a platform for the press, section off areas for people with disabilities and local VIPs, create barriers that will allow secret service and the candidate to enter and exit, build a room for the press with internet access and food, put up magnetometers for security, etc. Apparently 'overnight builds' are not that uncommon, but they are definitely dreaded.

Anyway, I'll write more later because I continue to be blown away by the organization and attention to detail in this campaign. This really is a phenomenally well run organization. It speaks well of Obama and the people he's chosen to surround him with. Plus having only done field work before, Advance is really fascinating!

One more pic for our archives. Click elwood.

Awesome! Florida should go Dem.

You go, Martha B! Caught a portion of Bidens speech on CPAN today.. he was spot on...at his best.

Cast my early liberal vote today... on a paper ballot, with no photo ID and only one person in front of me. I figured voting during prime football hours would be best.

Arkansas Voters' Bill of Rights

1. On election day, each polling place opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 7:30 p.m.. If you are in line or in the process of voting when the polls close at 7:30 p.m., YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE in the election. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 7-5-304, 7-5-314(c) (2004)

2. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE without presenting identification after signing your name on the precinct voter registration list unless you are a first-time voter who registered by mail and you have not previously provided photo identification to the supervisor of elections. § 7-5-305

3. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE by provisional ballot if (1) you are a first-time voter who does not have photo identification and you did not provide identification when registering, (2) if your name is not on the precinct voter registration list and election officials are unable to verify your eligibility at that time or (3) if your vote is challenged for any reason. §§ 7-5-306(a)(8)(B)(ii), 306(b) and 312(b)

4. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote early beginning fifteen days before an election and ending on the day before the election day at the time the county clerk's office regularly closes. § 7-5-418

5. If you cannot read or write or cannot prepare your ballot because of physical, sensory, other disability or other legal cause, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to receive assistance when voting from either two election officials or a person of your choice. § 7-5-310

6. If you cannot stand in line for extended periods of time due to a physical, sensory or other disability, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to be placed at the head of the line to vote. § 7-5-310(c)

7. If you are visually impaired or have a physical or mental disability, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to vote at a voting location accessible to you. § 7-5-311(a) and (d)

8. If you have moved within the same precinct or you have changed your name, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE on Election Day in that precinct after completing a voter registration application form to update the voter registration files. §§ 7-5-305(a)(5)(B) or (a)(6)

9. If you have moved to another precinct in the same county, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE on Election Day in your new precinct after a poll worker verifies your registration and after you complete a voter registration application to update the voter registration files. § 7-5-306(a)

10. If you make a mistake or accidentally "spoil" or deface your ballot so that you cannot vote, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to receive a replacement ballot (no more than two total) after you return the spoiled ballot to the election officials. § 7-5-313

11. If you have been convicted of a crime but have completed your sentence, including any period of probation and parole, and have registered to vote since that time, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. Ark. Const. Amen. 51, Sec. 11

12. When you are within 100 feet of the polling place entrance, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO WAIT TO VOTE OR VOTE without anyone electioneering or trying to influence your vote in any other way. § 7-1-103(a)(9)

13. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE on Election Day and your employer must schedule your work hours to allow you to do so. § 7-1-102

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE THIS BILL OF RIGHTS INTO THE VOTING BOOTH WITH YOU.

Thank you Martha B for all you are doing to get Obama elected.........

Awwwwwwww youth.

I hope we all feel young on tues night..........change, hope for the future............

......a man who can speak zee english and eat with his mouth closed.....not wipe his nose on

his sleeve...........UGH

time to wake up from this 8 year nightmare.

Great job, Martha. Thanks for your hard work on the campaign, and for taking the time and energy to "drop us a line" as you have done so many times. How much fun that must be!

Eureka, you are a wise soul.....