Full Agenda for those attending the Reformer Track

November 21-23, 2003      Washington, DC Convention Center

A broad coalition of pro-democracy organizations has joined to organize a major conference on the theme of Claim Democracy: Securing, Enhancing and Exercising the Power of the Right to Vote. The conference will take place at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center on the weekend of November 21-23. The conference agenda is a lively and substantive mix of high-profile plenaries, hands-on workshops book-signings and break-out sessions specifically geared to the interests of youth, reformers, and those interested in democracy and the law. Below is the current conference agenda.

Friday, November 21 (Washington College of Law, American University)

    7:30 pm: "Late Night with the Democracy Movement / Democracy Showcase": an innovative evening of culture and politics at the Washington College of Law at American University: This pre-conference event will be a free-wheeling democracy revue,with:
             * Clips from five excellent pro-democracy documentaries made since the 2000 elections, all introduced by the filmmakers.
             * "Welcome to Washington: A Ten-minute Diatribe Against Disenfranchisement by D.C. Radio Personality Mark Plotkin," political commentator for WTOP News.
             * "Democracy Slam," a democracy-focused teen poetry slam, organized by the D.C. Writers’ Corps. Winners to be voted on by instant runoff voting method and to receive prizes and an offer to present at the Saturday evening event at the Convention Center. 
             * "Democracy in Jeopardy," a game show format with contestants from the audience participating in jeopardy-type format on areas relating to problems with our electoral democracy and efforts for reform -- free conference registration goes to the winner.  Study hard!
             * Musical interludes of songs about democracy .
             * A witty "campaign speech" from Will Markson, the participation-focused "presidential candidate" linked closely with Bill Shein of Yes I Will!
             * "Democracy Incorrect," a roundtable talk show-type format with speakers and special guests from the conference talking about their ideas and work.

Directions to the Washington College of Law

Saturday, November 22 (Washington, D.C. Convention Center)

Saturday Breakout Session Tracks:
            The conference is designed to be of general interest, but particularly service the needs and interests of youth, reformers and those interested in democracy and the law. Following are general descriptions of these three tracks that will define the breakout sessions on the first day of the conference.  

Reformers: Will provide tactical advice to participants, explore connections among different reforms and discuss how reformers can support one another’s efforts.

 8:00 am – 9:00 am: Registration / Exhibit Room Open
            Many sponsoring organizations will have tables where attendees can have one-on-one conversations about their work and pick up materials. They will be encouraged to set up their tables by 8 am, as the opening hour before Saturday and Sunday plenaries will be an excellent time for attendees to meet with representatives of organizations.

 9:00 am – 10:15 am:  Opening Plenary

• Welcome by The Center for Voting and Democracy's Robert Richie and the Washington College of Law's Jamin Raskin
• Keynote Speaker: Texas state representative Garnet Coleman, introduced by John Anderson of the Center for Voting and Democracy
• Keynote Speaker: White House Project's Marie Wilson, introduced by Tracy Sturdivant of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• Keynote Speaker: Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., introduced by Rashad Robinson of the Center for Voting and Democracy

 10:30 am – Noon:  Break-out Sessions on “Securing the Vote” 
            Will focus on reforms to ensure full and unfettered access to voting. Specific areas of reform include fair enforcement of the Help America Vote Act,  election day registration, felony disenfranchisement laws, lowering the voting age and voting rights for documented non-citizens and for citizens of American territories and for citizens of Washington, D.C. 

·        State Reformers : Miles Rapoport (Demos) will introduce and moderate a panel with Edward Hailes (Advancement Project), Americo Santiago (Democracy Works), Rev. George Allison (Democracy North Carolina), Ovita Thornton (Georgia Rural Urban Summit), Ilir Zherka (DC Vote) and Catherine Turcer (Ohio Citizen Action).  Other possible panelists include Alvaro Fernandez (Southwest Voter) and representatives of Common Cause.

Noon – 1:30 pm: Lunch / Exhibit Area Booths / Book-Signings
            We are organizing a series of 30-minute book-signings during the two lunch breaks on Saturday and Sunday and will promote visits to the exhibit area room during this period. The book-signing schedule is:

     - 12:15-12:40 - Alex Keyssar, Author of The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the  
                                                                                                             United States
     - 12:40- 1:05 - Jamin Raskin, Author of Overruling Democracy: The Supreme Court vs 
                                                                         the American People
     -  1:05- 1:30 - Micah Sifry, Author of Spoiling for a Fight: Third-Party Politics in America

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Break-out Sessions on “Enhancing the Vote” 
           Focused on reforms to increase the power of one’s vote. Specific areas of reform will include campaign contribution limits, public financing, instant runoff voting, fusion, full representation, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, access to the airwaves and strategies to promote more candidates who are women and people of color.

·        Democracy and the Law: Craig Holman (Public Citizen) will introduce and moderate a session with John Bonifaz (National Voting Rights Institute), John Anderson (Center for Voting and Democracy), Anita Earls (Center for Civil Rights), Kim Gandy (National Organization for Women), Meredith McGehee (Alliance for Better Campaigns), Debo Adegbile (NAACP LDF), Doug Kantor (DKT Liberty Project) and Adam Lioz (US PIRG).

  3:15 pm – 4:45 pm: Break-out Session on “Exercising the Vote”
            Focused on voter registration and get-out-the-vote activities (GOTV) that are taking place and planned to increase voter participation in 2004 

·        State Reformers: Southwest Voter Research and Education Project’s Alvaro Fernandez will introduce and moderate a panel with Melanie Campbell  (National Coalition on Black Civic Participation), Guillermo Quinteros (Commonwealth Coalition), Kristina Wilfore (Ballot Initiative Strategies Center), Reginald Holt (NAACP National Voter Fund), Mark Brunswick (A. Philip Randolph Institute of Delaware) and George Pillsbury (Mass Vote).

5 pm – 6 pm: Plenary -- Is There a War on Democracy?
           National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy will introduce and moderate a session with Common Cause President Chellie Pingree, Center for Voting and Democracy senior analyst Steven Hill, the Center for Constitutional Rights' Ron Daniels, Washington College of Law's Jamin Raskin and Public Campaign's Mark Clack to address democracy and the media, civil liberties, the courts and election laws.

6 pm – 6:30 pm:  Exhibit Booths Highlighted. Book Signing with Scott Beale, author of Millenial Manifesto.

 6:30 pm – 9 pm: “Celebrating Democracy” reception and dinner at the nearby Four Points-Sheraton (with separate admission):
            Celebrating Democracy , co-sponsored by Common Cause and the Center for Voting and Democracy, will feature awards to “Democracy Champions” speaking at the conference and will feature remarks about the 2004 elections and reform from the New Yorker ’s Hendrik Hertzberg.

 8 pm – 9:30 pm (DC Convention Center):
            Blackout Art Collective will lead a poetry and open-mic event around voting rights and disenfranchisement, particularly dealing with people with felony convictions.

Sunday, November 23 (Washington, D.C. Convention Center)

 8:00 am – 9:00 am: Exhibit Room Open

 8:45 am – 9:45 am:  Opening Plenary
            Focused on the importance of involvement in the day’s mix of featured debates, workshops, trainings and panels. Introduced by the Center for Voting and Democracy’s Rob Richie, speakers will be the Fannie Lou Hamer Project’s Stephanie Moore, Citizen Works’ Ralph Nader, National Voting Rights Institute's John Bonifaz, Demos' Miles Rapoport, and the Progressive Review's Sam Smith.

  Sunday will feature four sessions, each with 13 workshops,  panels and  debates. Below is the schedule for these sessions and descriptions of the featured debates. 

Full list of workshops

 10:00 am – 11:15 am: Session 1 (13 workshops and panels)

* Featured debate on “Is It Time for Multi-Party Democracy?” With Ralph Nader and Theresa Amato to debate defenders of the two-party system. Moderated by Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker magazine, to be followed by speeches from third party presidential cadidates on their electoral reform agenda.

* A featured session on “Winning – and Losing -- Democracy Reform at the Ballot Box”, sponsored by the Ballot Initiative Strategies Center, with Kristina Wilfore (BISC) and leaders of reform initiatives on election day registration, campaign finance and instant runoff voting.    

 11:30 am – 12:45 pm: Session 2 (13 workshops and panels)

* Featured debate on “Should Touchscreen Voting Machines Require a Paper Trail?”  With Barbara Simons (Co-Chair, US Public Policy Committee of ACM) and Marc Rotenberg to debate defenders of current touchscreens, including Jim Dickson of American Association of People with Disabilities. Moderated by Marc Steiner of Baltimore Public Radio Station WYPR.

*A featured session: “Elected Officials on Advancing Reform in Legislatures.” With state legislators Garnet Coleman (TX), Beth Edmonds (ME) and others.

 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm:  Lunch / Exhibit Area/ Book-Signings
     The book signing schedule in the exhibit area is:
      - 12:55-1:20 - Steven Hill, Author of Fixing Elections
      -  1:20-1:45 - Ron Hayduk, Author of Democracy's Moment

1:45 pm – 3:00 pm: Session 3 (13 workshops and panels)

* Featured debate: “Direct Democracy in California: Democracy at its Best or Worst?” With Paul Jacob (Citizens in Charge) and Dane Waters (Initiative and Referendum Institute) debating Roy Ulrich (California Common Cause) and an opponent of the California recall and the initiative process. Moderated by Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne (invited)

* A featured session on “A right to vote amendment in the U.S. Constitution.” With Jamin Raskin (Washington College of Law) and Alex Keyssar (Harvard University).

 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm:  Session 4 (13 workshops and panels)

 4:45 pm – 5:30 pm: Closing Plenary
            This closing plenary will provide reports from leaders of the different tracks of the conference and highlight next steps for building a pro-democracy movement. Speakers will include Rob Richie of the Center for Voting and Democracy and Ludovic Blain of Demos.