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First Time Voters As a result of recent legislation and policy changes, many citizens in Rhode Island, Maryland and Florida voted in their very first presidential election on November 4. Others voted in their first election since having been incarcerated. Activists, advocates and those formerly disenfranchised like Kimberly Haven and Andres Idarraga cast their long-awaited first vote in an historic presidential election. Mike Kimber was second in line at his New York polling place. "It felt different. You know, I was doing something for the very first time ... I was happy I was able to do this," said Kimber during an interview with Democracy Now. In Minnesota, an estimated 65,000 citizens are ineligible to vote due to felony offenses but resident Andre Corbett made it to the polls last week. "I got off parole Aug. 1, and I went and voted in the primaries," Minnesota Public Radio quoted him as saying. "That was probably the proudest I'd felt in quite a while - just being able to have the sticker and go in and check it off." Having just learned that he could vote and that his rights were restored two years ago, Victor Vazquez registered and voted on the same day in Rhode Island the Providence Journal reported. " ... [T]his means I have a say now. And here I am today, doing my work," said Vazquez. For more coverage, read the Huffington Post and Monsters and Critics.com. Florida: Associated Press New York: Staten Island Advance Arizona: Tucson Citizen Indiana: Journal Gazette Rhode Island: NBC10 National: 'Mass Confusion,' Lawsuits Shadow Election Day 2009 The arrival of last Tuesday's historic Election Day followed a national drive to register and educate voters with felony offenses. Despite advocates' successes in voter education, there was much uncertainty over state laws, inmate voting policies and several legal challenges seeking to overturn state laws were filed, USA Today reported. "It's mass confusion," stated Nancy Abudu, staff counsel for the voting rights unit of the American Civil Liberties Union. Miller-McCune Magazine also featured an article on disenfranchisement's past and present, and the movement to get voting rights restored nationally. "Felon disfranchisement affects not only the individual whose vote has been taken away; it's not just what voting-rights lawyers call a vote-denial claim. It's also a vote-dilution claim," said Juan Cartagena, a civil rights lawyer and the general counsel for the Community Service Society in New York. "That relative political power is taken away from the neighbors of persons who come back home (and) from their family members. Their relative collective voting strength is wiped off the map almost." Georgia: To Vote, or Not to Vote Editor in chief of the Sunday Paper applauded rapper T.I. and other celebrities with felony convictions who rallied others to vote in last week's election, but in an op- ed, Kevin Forest Moreau also grapples with the issue of restoring voting rights to those with certain convictions. "Should those perpetrators be given the chance to redeem their place in civilization?" he wrote. "Absolutely - depending on the severity of the crime ... But should they retain every right-or privilege-they enjoyed prior to breaking that social contract? That one's a little harder to say "yes" to." Oklahoma: Legislator Supports Vote Restoration Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, of Tulsa, hopes to introduce legislation to restore voting rights once a citizen is released from prison in 2009, the Tulsa World reported. Sen. McIntyre said she will speed up the time it takes to restore voting rights. Currently, state law prohibits individuals from registering to vote until the full length of their sentence has been carried out and are no longer supervised by the Department of Corrections. California: Report Says Felony Disenfranchisement 'Single Greatest Factor Excluding People of Color' The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) has released a report entitled, Making Every Vote Count: Reforming Felony Disenfranchisement Policies and Practices in California, that explains why and how felony disenfranchisement laws may be the single greatest factor excluding people of color from the political process. A key component of the report is its documentation of widespread confusion among eligible voters and public agencies about who is and is not eligible to vote in California. - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information -- e-mail: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

The Marijuana Policy Project is seeking a Campaign Manager for MPP's Arizona ballot initiative campaign to legalize the possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana for patients who have a doctor's recommendation. The overarching goal of the Campaign Manager is to successfully implement the campaign strategy from the campaign’s inception through Election Day and ensure that every possible measure is taken to win the campaign. All aspects of the campaign will be overseen by MPP’s Director of State Campaigns, with the Campaign Manager playing a key supporting role to the Director of State Campaigns and the campaign consultants. This position is based in Arizona and runs through November 2010. The Campaign Manager’s salary is $50,000 to $60,000, plus full health insurance and a modest retirement plan. [Courtesy of MPP] Qualifications include a minimum of two years of statewide campaign experience in a senior management position, though five or more years are preferred. The ideal candidate will be a goal-oriented, fastidious, hands-on manager. The Campaign Manager must be hardworking, get along well with people, and have excellent communication and management skills. Applicants who have ties to the Arizona political community will be given priority, although such ties are not a requirement. Responsibilities include overseeing and successfully completing the signature drive to place the initiative on the November 2010 statewide ballot; managing all day-to-day campaign operations; acting as first point of contact for the general public and the local activist community; ensuring that the local activist community is happy and engaged; identifying, training, and successfully managing and utilizing regional volunteer spokespeople; overseeing the distribution of all written campaign materials, such as campaign literature, Web site updates, etc.; working closely with MPP’s State Campaigns office in Las Vegas to ensure that the campaign complies with all applicable campaign laws and successfully files all campaign finance reports; working closely with the campaign’s in-state consultants; conducting fundraising meetings with potentially major donors; assisting in-state, paid consultants with coalition-building efforts as requested, resulting in a substantial number of community leaders and organizations publicly backing the campaign; and assisting the consultants with media operations, as requested. To apply, please see http://www.mpp.org/jobs/process.html and follow the instructions there. Interviews are being conducted on a rolling basis, so interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Drug Truth Network Update: 4:20 Drug War NEWS from 90.1 FM in Houston and dozens of radio affiliates in the US, Canada and Australis & on the web at www.kpft.org. We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US, Canada and Australia. 4:20 Drug War NEWS 11/10/08 to 11/16/08 now online (3:00 ea:) Select online at www.drugtruth.net Sun - Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project reports on marijuana laws passed this election Sat - Sanho Tree reports on Plan Colombia, courtesy BBC Fri - If it quacks, it must be drug czar Walters 2/2 Thu - Australian Federal Police commissioner seeks better way in drug war, courtesy ABC Australia Wed - Adam Assenberg of KRFP radio interview Dean Becker of Drug Truth Network Tue - Terry Nelson reports for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Mon - John Walters, US Drug Czar 1/2 Next - Century of Lies on Tues, Cutural Baggage on Wed (Now With Transcripts): - Cultural Baggage 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Rev. Eddy Lepp & Carl Olson: sacramental Marijuana - Century of Lies 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT, 9:30 AM PT: Cele Castillo, Iran/Contra whistle blower Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, and www.audioport.org Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker: Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform. "Prohibition is evil." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer Dean Becker 713-849-6869 www.drugtruth.net