Dear DAWN members and supporters of DAWN,

We just want to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of you who put heart and soul into the Iraq war ballot referendum push that was initiated by DAWN ( DuPage Against War Now) and other local peace groups in the last several months. Those of you who worked so hard to get the numbers deserve to know how many signatures were collected and the end result .

When Amy turned in the signature sheets on August 21st, the hard deadline, it appeared that we had a solid 8,200 signatures. We needed to obtain roughly 22,000. A few days later, we received an official letter from DuPage County Election Commission stating that due to the inadequate number of signers, the question would not appear on the ballot countywide.

Admittedly, it is a disappointment. But keep in mind what we were able to accomplish in the last several months. Think of the thousands of people who were moved to confront the issue of the Iraq war and its consequences. There were thousands who signed the petition, and there were thousands more who wanted to sign it but were reluctant for a variety of reasons. That is what our country has become- a place where people are afraid to sign a petition encouraging voters to voice their opinions in a democratic forum on a question that affects each of their lives immeasurably.

Yet, the visibility we created for the opposition to this fear as well to the war in Iraq was well worth it. Volunteer signature collectors appeared at farmers markets, festivals, movie theaters, grocery stores, and many other crowded places around DuPage County.The buzz we created was priceless. Our booth at the DuPage County Fair, with its compelling graphics, turned heads. Collecting signatures from representatives and supporters of all political parties proved that peace is not a partisan issue. We succeeded, because we are keeping the dialogue alive on the issue of peace as we have been since October of 2002 and will continue to do until our troops come home.

MOVING FORWARD! Many of you were in attendance at town meetings when this all started helping in our attempt to get the Iraq War question put on the ballot by acting as a majority of electors in the township hall setting. As you recall, our peace advocates, valiant though their effort was, were outnumbered by township cronies in all but one township in DuPage- Downers Grove Township .

We recently received a follow -up from the Downers Grove Township Clerk, Diane Konicek , She stated that Downers Grove has filed the necessary paperwork with DuPage County Election Commission to have the question appear in Downers Grove Township on the November ballot. So the question, "Shall the United States Government immediately begin an orderly and rapid withdrawal of all its military personnel from Iraq, beginning with the National Guard and Reserves?" will appear on the Downers Grove Township Ballot. Congratulations, Downers Grove!!

Our focus in the next month will be on: 1. Registering Voters 2. Spreading the word in Downers Grove Township that those citizens' votes carry extra weight- and they have a special duty- to speak with a unified voice for the people of Dupage County who want troops home from Iraq. 3. Training new voter registrars and pollwatchers and again sending DAWN pollwatchers out in force on Election Day to protect voters' rights and ensure fair and accurate elections are being conducted in DuPage County.

If you are not currently involved and would like to participate in any of these efforts, please email DAWN at dawn_198@msn.com.

Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, for your effort, participation, and enthusiasm in working for peace.

Continue to check our website for details at www.d-a-w-n.org.

Peace,

Kathy and Amy

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