Be a citizen co-sponsor of the Count Every Vote Act

Dear Friends, Thank you so much for signing up as a citizen co-sponsor of the Count Every Vote Act of 2005. With your support and that of more than 116,000 people all across the country, we have made substantial progress in recent weeks. But, even with all the energy and action you have helped generate, we still have an uphill climb. It doesn't appear that the administration and the Republican leadership are as concerned as we are about ensuring people's right to vote. We need to gather even more momentum -- forward this email to your friends and ask them to become a citizen co-sponsor at: http://www.friendsofhillary.com/CountEveryVote Isn't it ironic that at the same time the White House is welcoming elections in other parts of the world, we still have to fight to make democracy real here at home! But fight we will. And, in the weeks since the Count Every Vote Act of 2005 was introduced by Senators Boxer, Lautenberg, Kerry and myself, your personal commitment has helped build our momentum: Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has joined us as a co-sponsor. We welcome this support from one of the Senate's most distinguished advocates for civil and constitutional rights. The New York Times (February 22, 2005) described the Count Every Vote Act as "the gold standard for election reform." Among the provisions of the bill it singled out as worthy of note were: "Paper records for every vote cast...restrictions on political activity by voting machine manufacturers...and minimum standards for the number of voting machines per precinct." As the Times stated, our bill would also prevent states from using "onerous identification requirements to turn away eligible voters..." Other organizations have begun to mobilize support for the Count Every Vote Act. I am particularly proud of the support we have received from The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and People for the American Way, two groups that have been at the forefront of working to protect every American's right to vote. Most important of all, we now have more than 116,000 citizen co-sponsors from every state in the union - people who have joined to work together, to insist that we get action on election reform! And we continue to get more co-sponsors every day. As I look at the record of this Republican Congress, I know that our task is not going to be easy. But I also know that, together, we can make a difference. We can insist that the right of every American to vote - and to have our votes counted - is fundamental to our democracy. We are going to keep organizing, keep building support and demanding action - and we are going to succeed. Please Forward to a Friend! Sincerely, Hillary Rodham Clinton P.S. Our whole family deeply appreciates all the kind words of encouragement concerning Bill's recent surgery. He's doing well and is very moved by your well wishes. Contribute to Friends of Hillary today!