This article aims to give readers a bit of an update on Democracy Chronicle’s documentary, “The Design of a Broken System,” that is steadily approaching the end of filming. We have filmed interviews all across New York City with people involved with election reform in wide a variety of settings. It has been an honor and an experience in meeting the many good people involved in the cause and we look forward to featuring their work in a truly unique election reform documentary.

We are hoping that this effort for an interview-based documentary advocating election reform will be a viral hit on YouTube, Facebook, and beyond. As many of you already know we are pairing with director John Amaruso in order to film “The Design of a Broken System” to spur citizen action on election reform.  We are a non-partisan organization and there will be no agenda outside election reform.

The documentary is simply about how the election system is not working correctly and how citizens should get involved. We want to engage the community especially young voters on this issue. Many of you also supported our first (unsuccessful) kickstarter campaign of which we plan to do a new attempt soon with a much updated trailer.

Democracy Chronicles’ Documentary Filming So far

We have filmed interviews with Executive Director of Citizen’s Union Dick Dadey, New York State Assembly member Fred Theile, Jr., Columbia University professor Esther Fuchs, and multiple activists from the election reform community. Just recently we followed Lynne Syrpe, Green Party candidate for the New York City Council on her quest to represent Astoria, Queens. We filmed interviews with Syrpe, her campaign staff, and even followed her campaign on election day to get an inside view of third party campaigning in modern America.  We have also filmed some great protest footage including as front row spectators to Occupy Wall Street’s Second Anniversary protests.

Coming up, we have organized a team for a Democracy Chronicles filming of a Fair Elections press conference commenting on New York State’s newly released Moreland Commission report from the steps of New York City’s City Hall. This event is an important event for the future of money in elections in New York City and is part of a larger week of action called New Day New York culminating with a mass rally and action on Thursday, December 5 @ 4:30 pm at Foley Square in Manhattan right in front of City Hall (and next to the newly designated Thomas Paine Park).

I will at least be at the 1pm City Hall protest on December 4th with our film crew to capture the press conference for our documentary. We have a lot of footage at this point but we really need all film we can get showing activists and organizers of grassroots action. We are hoping the protest gets a good turnout so please come join us! The New Day New York Coalition is described on their website as:

The coalition includes dozens of New York’s leading community groups, faith congregations, labor unions and social service providers, as well as veterans of the May 12, Occupy Wall Street, Millionaires Tax, Minimum Wage, Paid Sick Days, Stop and Frisk, Immigrant Justice and other effective and successful New York City and New York State movements — all mobilizing to build One New York for #AllOfUs. Actions all day focused on the drivers of inequality in New York targeting banks, corporations and individuals that have opposed a fair deal for workers, advocating for affordable housing, keeping money out of politics, and relieving debt for working New Yorkers. We’ll flood the streets downtown and all over town to show New Yorkers what’s wrong with the city that Bloomberg built and how new policies, new ideas and new activism can make our city more prosperous and more fair.

Finally, I would love to hear from DC readers at this point. Do you have any suggestions for people to include in our documentary? Of course it helps if you can help in making an introduction too! Obama is regrettably unlikely to be reachable without a good connection. I look forward to hearing back from you. Thank you very much for all of your help.