Two days after the election, the genesis of a new voting rights movement started at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Clintonville. A small group of people gathered to hear four political scientists, including Free Press publisher Bob Fitrakis, analyze the Nov. 2 election. After the meeting, an unknown individual approached Fitrakis and suggested he hold public hearings and put people under oath to find the truth and preserve evidence about election irregularities. All Fitrakis remembers is that he looked a little like Eugene V. Debs. This anonymous man is our first movement hero.

In addition to the heroes listed to the elsewhere on the site, we’d like to acknowledge central Ohio folks who played a part during the short, frenzied, historic ride to the challenge of the electoral college vote: Harvey Wasserman, Cliff and Sibley Arnebeck, Susan Truitt, Rev. Bill Moss and his wife Ruth, Judith Powell, the Rev. Jeffrey Kee, Linda Byrket, Evan Davis, Charleta Tavares, Ray Miller, Ed Forman, Mike Beaver, Katie McGarvey, Tanikka Henriquez, Rep. Larry Price, Kevin Boyce, Mark Brown, Paddy Schaffer and Jenny, Rich James, the Leagu1e of Pissed Off Voters, Moss v. Bush contesters, Rep. Dan Stewart, staff of the Africentric school, Rev. Washington, Charles Traylor, Percy Squire & WVKO Radio, 1230 WTPG Radio, Central Ohio Greens and Libertarians, CASE-Ohio volunteers, Susan Gellman, and Benson Wollman.

The movement was also enormously assisted by people from all over the country, and we thank: Steve Rosenfeld, Cynthia Butler, Ron Baiman, Richard Hayes Phillips, Butch Wing, Terry Taylor, Nancy Price, Ronnie Dugger, Werner Lange, David Cobb, John Bonifatz, Warren Linney, Mandeep Gill, Kat L’Estrange, Gary Krane, Lori Grace, Dan Hamburg, Eliza Jane Schneider, and Peter Peckarsky. We apologize to anyone we may have accidentally left out.

These are just the folks who worked with Free Press staff during the last two months of the intense election protection project. We hope to add your name in the future as we continue our work.

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