Dear Members of the Democratic City Committee:

Tuesday is the big day -- Election Day. Our campaign seems to have gone well. We have three intelligent, articulate candidates who have been working hard knocking on doors and making phone calls. As many of you know first hand, we have called our favorable voters in the last few days, and I am told that the response in virtually every case has been excellent. Our yard signs are out, our fliers are printed, and we are ready for the last push.

My primary purpose in writing this e-mail is to ask you to do three things:

1. Remind your friends and family to vote. A favorable voter who doesn't get to the polls does us no good. If someone needs a ride, and you can't help them, have them call the headquarters at 296-1865, and we'll find them a ride.

2. If you haven't already volunteered or been drafted to help on Election Day, call your precinct chair and tell him or her how you want to help. Or call headquarters.

3. To remind you of the victory party at our campaign headquarters at 503 East Main Street (under the parking garage), beginning at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, May 4. Y'all come!

My secondary purpose in writing this e-mail is to answer questions that I have been getting about a "Write In Meredith" effort that is underway.

As I understand it, the "Write In Meredith" yard signs have been made up by Lillian Martin, an employee at the Flower Market. Some of you have commented to me on the fact that the yard signs have no "authorized by" statement on them, as State election law requires for most such signs. Actually, the State campaign finance disclosure laws do not apply to expenditures by "an individual who makes uncoordinated independent expenditures aggregating less than $1,000." I spoke with Lill for about an hour on Saturday, and she tells me that she will be spending less than $1,000, and that her efforts are not being carried out with the involvement of Meredith Richards. I understand from others who have spoken to Meredith she is aware of the effort, but she is not "coordinating" anything with Lill. If all of this is true, then the fact that the signs have no "authorized by" statement, and no statement about whether Meredith herself has approved them, would mean (at least to this lawyer) that Lill has committed no crime in distributing these signs.

I anticipate that those of you who will be working at the polls on Election Day may be asked about this write-in campaign. I suggest that you respond to any questions by saying the following:

a. At the Convention in February, Meredith gave a concession speech in which she pledged her support for the entire ticket. The Daily Progress said that Meredith "conceded and encouraged the Democrats to support the full party ticket on May 4." The article in The Hook said, "Richards ... made a gracious concession speech, promising to support the other candidates."
b. When questions arose in March, Meredith released a statement that read, in part, "I am not seeking to be elected to City Council as a write-in candidate. I am not encouraging in any way the people who have been talking about writing in my name on May 4, and I am not asking anyone to write in my name for City Council on May 4."
c. We take her at her word.
d. We have three strong candidates who will represent Charlottesville well. A vote that goes for Meredith rather than for David or Kendra or Kevin increases the chances of either Ann Reinicke or Kenneth Jackson getting elected.

Let me add one more note on this.

Meredith Richards has served our City well for almost 8 years. She proudly carried the Democratic banner for us in 1996 and 2000, and again in 2002 for Congress. She quite rightly has made a lot of friends. Many of those friends are Democrats. We may have our differences with them in May, but we will again want their support in November, and next November, and in years to come. It is extremely important, for the good of the entire Party, that we not chase away or repudiate those people who are still upset that Meredith is not one of our candidates. Let's behave accordingly in the coming days.

I will look forward to seeing you at the polls, and at the Victory Party, on Tuesday!

Lloyd Snook (electronic mail, May 2, 2004)

Editor's Note: For related pieces, see also Voting Machine Practice, Write In Votes and Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements and Can Write-In Votes Ressurrect Meredith Richards? and Lloyd Snook's Comments About Write-In Voting, Meredith Richards and the 2004 Charlottesville City Council Campaign.