January 13th, 2001

If you have any questions, contact Fred Nelson at [email protected] or 312.587.7060.

Where:

The Cardinal Room at the Chicago Circle Center at the University of Illinois, Chicago campus. Go to 750 South Halsted and follow the signs.

When:

10:00 am until 5:00 pm, Saturday, January 13th.

Details:

There is no cost to attend the conference.  Feel free to attend all or part of the event.

Agenda:

10:00 am - 1:00 pm  Political leaders discuss instant runoff voting in the Midwest

The morning session will feature panel discussions by Midwest political leaders. There will be a few breaks in between the 50 minute discussions, and there will be time for questions from the audience. Featured guests include

• John Anderson, former Illinois congressman and 1980 independent presidential candidate
• Jack Uldrich, deputy planning director of the Jesse Ventura Administration
• Barbara Flynn Currie, Illinois House Majority Leader
• Matt Beauchamp, chairman of the Chicago Libertarian Party
• Alan Shilepsky, platform chair of the Minnesota Independence Party
• Paula Wolff, former president of Governors State University

2:00 - 4:30 Organizing for Instant Runoff Voting in the Midwest

This will be a "how to" discussion about the steps necessary for a successful local election reform movement. We will separate into groups to work on the nitty-gritty of organizing and we'll work on issues such as:

• Building a coalition - activists, good government groups, civil rights, third parties, major parties
• Groups and individuals to contact - elected officials, election administrators, etc.
• Compatibility and incompatibility of voting machines with advanced voting systems
• Points to make - letters to editor, media calls, testimony, etc.
• How to answer the usual questions
• Municipal campaigns
• State campaigns
• Examples of successes
• Resources

4:30 - 5:00 Wrap-up and final speeches

Before we all retire and head for a social event (probably the Kingston Mines blues club in Chicago), we'll reconvene as a group, share our plans for implementing instant runoff voting and hear a few more inspiring speeches.