New Website from California State Library and League of Women Voters
Gives Overwhelmed Voters a Reliable Starting Place

Sacramento – It’s less than three weeks until the November 2, 2010 Statewide General Election. California voters are being asked to make decisions about representatives for a long list of state offices and nine state propositions, as well as local offices and measures. Many voters are overwhelmed by the complexity of the ballot and confused by the barrage of partisan ads.

The nonpartisan Easy Voter Guide Project is a great starting place for new voters and busy voters trying to make sense of it all. The result of a joint partnership of the League of Women Voters of California and the California State Library, the project offers free printed election guides as well as an “all in one place” resource center with community-designed videos and handouts that cover why voting is important, what you need to do to vote and what’s on the ballot.

“Voters facing the many confusing choices on the ballot can turn to the Easy Voter Guide for trustworthy, user-friendly information,” said Janis R. Hirohama, President of the League of Women Voters Education Fund. “We believe that having clear, easy-to-use information on voting and elections will encourage more Californians to vote and make their voices heard, which is vital to a healthy democracy.”

The site’s most popular feature is the Easy Voter Guide recap of what’s on the November 2, 2010 statewide ballot. Find job descriptions (what’s the difference between state controller and state treasurer?), information that answers frequently-asked questions (why are we voting on judges?) and succinct summaries of the propositions in easy-to-understand language with a highly visual style. Voters use it as their “menu” to decide what they want to learn more about – and then use the helpful links at www.easyvoterguide.org to dig deeper.

“The video clips of adult learners speaking on the importance of voting and the other new voter education resources on the EasyVoterGuide.org website are excellent outreach tools for libraries and other community partners who are invested in civic engagement,” said Stacey Aldrich, California State Librarian.

Everything at the site is available in Spanish as well as English, and most handouts are also available in Asian languages. Free printed copies of the Easy Voter Guide are still available for order.  On October 19 and 20, visitors to www.easyvoterguide.org can vote for their favorite in the project’s video contest.

The Easy Voter Guide and www.easyvoterguide.org website are sponsored by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and California State Library, with support from The James Irvine Foundation.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Elizabeth Leslie, eleslie@lwvc.org, 916-442-7215     

October 15, 2010

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New Website From Easy Voter Guide Project and State Library

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