TO: California News Media
FROM: Kim Alexander, Executive Director, California Voter Foundation
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 1996

RE: Election Information on the Internet

As you put together your final election news packages, I hope you'll be sure to tell your audience about the vast array of information available on the Internet this year. Never before has so much information been made available to so many voters, and all of it can be accessed through the California Voter Foundation's non-partisan California Online Voter Guide, which is available at http://www.calvoter.org.

This is the third statewide guide produced by CVF, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of new technologies to help inform and engage voters. This year's guide provides information on all 15 state ballot propositions, California's 100 legislative contests and 52 congressional races, plus presidential and local election information. Highlights include:

Late Contribution Watch: Those who want to know who's pouring last-minute money into initiatives and state races can now find out through Late Contribution Watch, a daily summary of the late contribution reports. Late Contribution Watch, available through the voter guide, has quickly become a "must-read" among California journalists and political insiders, and was named by the Wall Street Journal as among the "Best of the Best" political web sites in California.

130 Links to Campaign Web Sites: The California Online Voter Guide serves as a giant directory of political web sites, featuring links to more than 130 congressional, legislative and ballot measure campaign web sites. Voters and journalists can easily access these sites through our guide to get information directly from the campaigns.

Analysis from the California Journal: This Sacramento-based public policy magazine's non-partisan analysis of the ballot measures, legislative races and congressional contests provides a fair and informative review of each measure and contest, and continues to be one of the most popular features of our guide.

Political Maps: UC Berkeley's Institute for Governmental Studies has created beautiful color maps of every legislative and congressional district in California, custom-made for the voter guide. These maps help voters to learn more about the districts in which they live and vote. Many news organizations are making use of these maps in their news coverage as well.

Election Night Returns: CVF's voter guide provides links to other state and local web sites featuring live, election night returns.

I am available anytime to discuss the Internet and politics in general, and our voter guide in particular. As a veteran observer of politics on the Internet, I have a unique perspective to offer and am happy to share it with you. I will also be available on Election Day and night for interviews and analysis. Please call my office at (916) 325-2120 to make arrangements. ####

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