John Anthony La Pietra for Fairer, Better Elections Secretary of State . . . Vote Green Nov. 2 John Anthony La Pietra Main Menu Campaign News -- latest: 11/1 . . . John reposts his     corrected version of the     candidate list for Saginaw     County -- and cautions voters     to use the proof ballots     accessible from the county's     home page rather than the     Clerk's inaccurate and     incomplete candidate list.     (UPDATE 11/2:  The county     home page has changed --     linking to the still-inaccurate     candidate list again.  So     John re-posted a good list. 10/31 . . . in case his rivals     haven't heard about it in the     news, John e-mails them     a letter renewing his call for     all five of them to pay their     fair shares of the fees for     a joint statewide recount. 10/29 . . . the Saginaw County     Clerk's Office is too short of     staff to correct its online list     of candidates on the ballot --     so John does it! Position Discussion Papers     (individual links at right) Questionnaires & Answers How to Donate  (or in PDF) How to Help  (or in PDF) About John Green Values  (or in PDF) Grassroots Democracy Social Justice Ecological Wisdom Non-Violence Decentralization Community-Based     Economics Feminism Diversity Responsibility Future Focus Campaign-Related Links: Green Party of Michigan Green Party of the United States Global Greens NewMenu.org   Issue-Related Links: MI Election Reform Alliance Standing for Voters Verified Voting blog John Anthony La Pietra for  Fairer, Better Elections    J.D. cum laude from Cooley Law School; concentration in public law   admitted to State Bar of Michigan in 2008   10 years’ experience in local, county, & state government   20 years in Calhoun County working for our community   a lifetime of acting on my belief in government for the people   and a commitment to fairer, better elections for all -- voters, candidates, parties, and independents     Well, today's the day -- time to vote!  (If you haven't voted absentee already, that is.  I may have been born in the Chicago area, but I never subscribed to the old "Vote early and vote often" stereotype.)     If you have questions about how voting works, or whether you can, this is one pretty good set of answers.  And here's a pretty good slate of candidates. (Announcement not sponsored by anybody's Pretty Good Grocery, though.)     Want to cast a protest vote?  Just don't like any of the people on the ballot running for some office?  You can write someone in -- but unless that person filed the right paperwork by Friday, October 22, your write-in vote for them won't be counted.  So the question becomes:  "Are there any declared write-in candidates in your area?"  The poll-workers aren't supposed to tell you -- and there won't be a list on the wall next to the sample ballot . . . but there's a list here.  It even has contact information for some of the candidates, in case you want to try to find out what you might be protest-voting for. . . .     John asked the county clerks (49 have responded as of Monday 11/1) and the Bureau of Elections for their lists of write-in candidates; he's built a statewide list using the information he gets.  (If you know someone who's not on the list and should be, say so.) John's first three four Position Discussion Papers are now on line! Withdrawing Names from Election Petitions Protecting Election Rights (with audits, recounts, challengers, etc.)  Fairer, Better Elections -- for Voters  Money and Politic(ian)s  You can see more of John's positions at his "Questionnaires and Answers" page -- his responses to some candidate surveys.     And now one of those responses is out on video! On Sept. 3, John sent out an open letter to all Michigan voters -- in care of lots of Michigan newspaper editors.  Let us know if you see it in your paper! Here's the voting-conditions survey (PDF, 1 page) mentioned in that open letter -- and half a dozen news releases besides.  (If you've heard about it anywhere in the news, please tell me!)     And here's a status report on which counties have helped prepare for the survey by sending information on how many voters are registered in each precinct, and where the polling places are. Here is a letter-size poster/sign you can print and put in a window. And here's a PDF file of John's introductory flyer you can print, too. I got a bunch of these bumper stickers from the Peace Resource Project:   If you want one, write (e-mail or snail mail) to tell me why -- and where to send it to you -- and if I have any left, I will!         The Secretary of State is in charge of protecting our vital election rights – which help us protect all our other rights.  We the voters of Michigan need a Chief Elections Officer who believes in the non-partisan “purity of elections” enshrined in our state Constitution, and takes seriously the duty to protect that purity from the dirty tricks and selfish party politics of any group or individual.         My parents raised me to play fair and care about others, and taught me to live on what they called the “bohemian easy-payment plan”: 100% down and nothing a month.  I’ll bring those values to this campaign, and across this state. Please help.  I’ll take 100% of anyone’s vote but no more than $100 of anyone’s money.  Still, if we work together, that’s enough to get fairer, better elections.  Green Values Are Your Values!          Grassroots democracy is one of the Green Party’s Ten Key Values.  Greens believe all people deserve a say in the political, economic, and environmental decisions that affect their lives.  We make decisions based on consensus, Instant-Runoff Voting, and other ways to value many contributions of individual ideas and energy more than a few fat checks from a few fat cats.         Greens in Michigan joined in a lawsuit that protected voter privacy from the “Big Two” parties.  Greens nationwide have worked to make sure all votes are counted, and all voters count.  We know that democracy demands citizenship:  government of the people must be by the people, or it won’t be for the people.         Find out how many more of the Ten Key Values are your values – contact: Green Party of Michigan 548 S Main; Ann Arbor, MI  48104  *  734-663-3555  *  MIGreens.org Grassroots Democracy Social Justice      Ecological Wisdom Non-Violence