by Patrice Johnson
July 8, 2022
Today we wake to news that, as we slept, Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot while delivering a campaign speech on Friday in the Land of the Rising Sun. Our hearts go out to Abe’s loved ones and the people of Japan. We are reminded of four U.S. Presidents, fallen victim to assassins: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John Kennedy. During a speech to his fellow Republicans in 1856, nine years before he paid the ultimate price in Ford’s Theatre, Lincoln uttered these prescient words.
To this day the lanky, six-foot-four store clerk turned lawyer lives on for refusing to allow the Republic to divide in two or to take the easy route and accept slavery. Instead, Lincoln fought and won the Civil War, thereby preserving the Union and ending slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation.
Which brings us to critical fight for election integrity.
The August primary is less than four—Yes, 4—weeks away. If you’re like me, you may have thought you didn't have time to learn how to poll challenge. I’m becoming an election inspector, I thought, so I don’t need to take poll challenger training. Mistake!
“Even folks who have already taken election inspector training and have gotten certified should take the poll challenger training,” Jo Demarco, PIME’s all-things-election-day guru explained. “Having both credentials doubles the opportunity to work in the polls.” [editor bold]
Training is a breeze. It’s free and important. All this month, Matt Seifried, Director of Elections for the Mich. GOP (MIGOP), is offering Zoom trainings.
Sign up here.
“Matt’s class is the BEST I’ve seen,” said Demarco, very thorough, easy to follow, and comprehensive. These are statewide applications, so doesn’t matter where you live to work as a challenger. Those who take the class will be registered, credentialed through MIGOP, receive the required paperwork from them, and any group can then begin assigning challengers in their precincts. Easy, peasy!”
Check out the schedule and sign up today. Tell Matt you’re from PIME, and you’d like to receive MIGOP credentials for Election Day—complete with a legal hotline.
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