What comes after November 5th?
We move forward, together! Register now to join ROP leaders from across the state for “Meeting the Moment: A Post-Election Gathering” on Thursday, Nove 7th, 6-7:30 pm PST / 7-8:30 pm MST. We’ll be holding space to process the election results, ground ourselves in movement history with Suzanne Pharr and Scot Nakagawa, and make a plan for the weeks and months to come.
Dear ROPnet,
As the election nears, we are seeing a coordinated attempt in communities around the state to spread misinformation and create distrust in county election processes. This disruption is part of a wider strategy of the far right. By bringing into question the entire system by which we elect people to govern us, they are setting themselves up to easily dismiss results they don’t like and to agitate people into action to further hinder a peaceful, democratic process where every vote is counted.
Our role as human dignity leaders is to help spread accurate information, and respond to disruption and intimidation efforts in a level-headed way. Read on for an amazing example of community members doing just that, from Coos County organizer Mary Geddry.
Has Douglas Frank shown up in your county? Are you seeing similar misinformation, threats of election disruption, or voter intimidation? In the coming weeks, ROP will be a hub for information about what we’re seeing across the state, helping identify patterns and supporting human dignity leaders. Respond to this email and let us know what’s happening in your community!
Here’s what Mary shared:
A determined effort to undermine our elections in Oregon is being perpetrated by a self-described “election integrity expert” named Douglas Frank. Frank, a close associate of Mike Lindell, crisscrosses the country armed with slideshows pitching a false account of “ghost voters” and unproven claims of “unnatural predictability.”
USA Today recently reported on a national effort to disrupt the 2024 elections. Frank, whose claims have been thoroughly debunked by genuine political science academics, is a part of this effort. His confident and glib speaking style resonates with those who want to believe Trump won the 2020 election.
“I think I’m going around starting little fires everywhere,” Frank said. “And then I come back and I throw gasoline on those fires.”
Even though Frank’s methodology and conclusions have been demonstrated by Stanford and Dartmouth University scholars to be “based on profound statistical errors,” he nonetheless has the ear of the MAGA faithful. Frank has visited Clatsop, Coos, Douglas, and Polk counties (that we know of), and his speaking style and manufactured details convince citizens and some elected officials. He has even made it into the State of Oregon Voter’s Pamphlet for Coos, Douglas, and Curry Counties where candidates running for clerk claim to be “Proudly endorsed by Dr Douglas Frank.”
Despite Coos County citizens calling out Commissioner Rod Taylor for hosting Frank at a county board meeting, Taylor brought him back in October for a three-hour work session. Working with another commissioner, John Sweet, we arranged for Stanford University Professor Justin Grimmer who has coauthored peer-reviewed papers exposing Frank’s false election claims and assumptions to present at the same meeting.
We made sure local pro-democracy activists knew about the event, and on the day of the meeting, the room was packed, and many more watched the livestream.
Working with Professor Grimmer, we are producing a video demonstrating how Frank cheats on his spreadsheets to produce the results he wants to show his audience.
Taylor remains convinced that Trump won the election. He has advised his followers to vote early this year because he anticipates a “major disruption right around election time.” Pro-democracy activists are engaging in election safety training and de-escalation techniques with the DPO.
In Coos County Frank claims to have established a “local team” and says he is coaching them on how to canvas area neighborhoods and identify voter fraud. Frank’s faulty math has been exposed by actual experts but he makes his unfounded claims of more registered voters than eligible voters again and again. Sadly, some people believe him, and therein lies the danger. As Frank himself has said, “You don’t win with data, you win with a movement.”
A counter-movement is underway to make sure democracy prevails.
Warmly,
Mary Geddry (Coos County Human Dignity Leader), Hannah, and the ROP Team
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