Today in Philadelphia, Dr. Jill Stein and I will stand against the abuse of our election system by corrupt, establishment politicians. The special election that I ran in back in March goes to trial today. While some Democrats are trying to get the case tossed, we cannot let that happen.

The district I live in -- the 197th district of Philadelphia -- is the poorest in the state of Pennsylvania. I've lived and fought here for 30 years to help my community make a path towards a better future. The mob bosses of Philadelphia keep installing crooks to represent us. In under 5 years, two state represented were federally indicted on corruption charges!

This is why I need your help. Please donate $5 or $27 today to help us keep fighting.

When they saw my team and I knocking on doors and flyering the neighborhood with the name and face of someone who has actually fought for this community, they got scared. They got scared because they weren't used to being challenged. So, to make sure they kept their death grip on this struggling but persevering neighborhood, they used voter intimidation and outright fraud.

• Everyone knows that the people that sign you in to vote can't give you election materials or tell you who to vote for
  
  
• The people working at the machines can't try to 'help you' and then attempt to sway or switch your vote
  
  
• It sure doesn't sound like democracy if people are heard asking where their money is after walking out of polling location
  
  
• We know using common sense that something is rotten when a ballot box full of votes is seen at a candidate's election night party before the votes are even counted!

Chip in $27 at cheri197.com/donate to support Team 197 and our legal fees.

I hope you tune in on Facebook to our press conference today (Thursday, September 14) with Jill and myself and follow what is happening in the courtroom on Twitter at 3:00 pm Eastern.

Any amount helps. We won't stop fighting for fair elections because the health of our democracy depends on it.

Solidarity,
Cheri Honkala

Candidate for State Representative, PA-197
2012 Green Party Vice Presidential candidate