|
| For Immediate Release |
|
For More Information, contact:
|
| Wednesday, October 25, 2000 |
|
Kim Alexander or Saskia Mills
|
| |
|
(916) 325-2120; info@calvoter.org
|
State voter guides flourish on the Web
Nationwide directory of state-level voter resources
now online
Sacramento, CA -- This election season, the California Voter Foundation (CVF)
has compiled a comprehensive online directory of links to state-level voter information
resources across the country. The State-by-State Directory helps meet voters' need
for reliable election information on all levels, and is available online at:
www.webwhiteblue.org/directory
The directory is a feature of Web White & Blue 2000, an outstanding web site
sponsored by the Markle Foundation that has much to offer voters, including a lively
online debate between presidential candidates.
"CVF built this directory because in the past we have found that while there
is plenty of coverage of the Presidential election, it is often difficult for voters
to access reliable information about state and local races," said Kim Alexander,
CVF's president and founder.
To create the directory, CVF contacted every state election agency to find out if
they are offering voter information on the Internet, and also surveyed each state
to find out what will be on the ballot. Through this project, CVF found that:
* All 50 state election agencies offer some kind of election information online;
* 42 state agencies have current campaign finance data online (up from 35 this time
last year);
* at least 29 states are planning to offer live election night returns;
* 42 states have some type of ballot measure or question on their statewide ballot;
* 15 states are having races for statewide offices this November.
Most encouraging is the fact that 19 states now have nonprofit, nonpartisan voter
information guides available on the Internet, similar to CVF's California Online
Voter Guide. Six years ago, CVF's web site was one of only two state-level voter
information sites available at that time, the other being Minnesota E-Democracy.
Today, many groups, including universities and civic organizations such as the League
of Women Voters, are using the Web to help voters prepare to make informed choices
on every contest on their ballot.
"The California Voter Foundation is thrilled to have so much company this election
season and we applaud all of the outstanding work being done by government agencies
and nonprofit groups to ensure that American voters have convenient access to reliable
and trustworthy election information," said Alexander.
Below is a round-up of state-level, nonprofit voter information sites. In general,
voters will find that these sites are simple and easy to use, are commercial-free,
do not require registration, and are not setting cookies or attempting to gather
personal data on visitors that can be sold or traded with third parties. In addition
to these state voter guides, the State-by-State Directory of Election Information
also links to Project Vote Smart's information for each state, and also offers direct
links to the official state online voter information and campaign finance data.
State-level nonprofit voter guides created for the November 7, 2000 election:
* Alabama:
Your Vote Alabama, http://www.yourvotealabama.org
* Arkansas:
League of Women Voters of Arkansas, http://www.insolwwb.net/~lwvar/
* California:
California Voter Foundation, http://www.calvoter.org/2000
League of Women Voters' Smart Voter, http://www.smartvoter.org
Easy Reading Voter Guide, http://www.easyvoter.org
* Colorado:
League of Women Voters of Colorado, http://www.sni.net/lwvco/
The Bell, http://www.thebell.org/whatsnew.htm
* Connecticut:
League of Women Voters of Connecticut, http://www.lwvct.org/election2000.htm
* Georgia:
League of Women Voters of Georgia, http://www.ga.lwv.org/Election00/ElecLink.htm
* Massachusetts:
League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, http://www.ma.lwv.org/
MassVoter.org, http://www.massvoter.org
* Michigan:
Citizens Research Council of Michigan, http://www.crcmich.org
* Minnesota:
Minnesota E-Democracy, http://www.e-democracy.org/2000
* New Jersey:
League of Women Voters of New Jersey, http://www.lwvnj.org/election99.html
* New Mexico:
League of Women Voters of New Mexico, http://www.lwvabc.org
* New York:
Savvy Voter, http://www.savvyvoter.org
* North Carolina:
North Carolina Center for Voter Education, http://www.ncvotered.com/govote/sitefiles/welcome.html
* Ohio:
League of Women Voters' Smart Voter, http://www.smartvoter.org
* Oregon:
X-Pac, http://www.xpac.org
* Pennsylvania:
League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, http://www.libertynet.org/pa/vote.html
* Utah:
University of Utah's Vote Utah, http://www.voteutah.org
* Virginia:
League of Women Voters of Virginia, http://monticello.avenue.org/leagueva/guide.html
* Washington:
League of Women Voters of Washington, http://www.washingtonvoter.org
- end -
|
This page first published October 25, 2000 -- last updated November 17,
2000