CALIFORNIA - June 27 - Progressive Democrats of America is co-sponsoring two town hall meetings in partnership with the California Election Protection Network (CEPN) addressing the public concern over election violations in California’s 50th Congressional District special election.

Tonight’s town hall meeting in Los Angeles will be held at 7:30 at Venice United Methodist Church, 1020 Victoria. Tomorrow, in San Diego there will be a second town hall meeting at 7 pm at the Oceanside Pacific Center, 330 N. Coast Highway. Participants include actress Mimi Kennedy, PDA Chair and CEPN activist; Marcy Winograd, PDALA President and CEPN activist; Jeeni Cricenzo, PDA endorsed candidate for 49th CD; Brad Friedman, www.bradblog.com; and Rob Cohen of Votergate.

PDA Executive Director Tim Carpenter says “more important than winner and loser, election integrity is at stake. After Florida and Ohio, proven flaws in electronic voting and now voting machines taken home by poll workers overnight, American voters have reason to distrust the system. This is precisely why we need a transparency, and if necessary, a hand recount. Public trust must be restored.”

“This spring, new regulations were issued by the National Association of State Elections Directors, which qualified machines for use. They were needed to protect from tampering machines like the Diebold opti-scanner and DREs used in San Diego County,” says PDA Chair and CEPN activist Mimi Kennedy. “The Registrar did not follow the regulations, which resulted in legal de-certification of the machines before the election started. Now voters are asked to trust elections officials and private vendors who say computer voting is safe from fraud.”

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