Provide Nonpartisan Election Information Online
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Summary
Democracy depends and thrives on a well-informed citizenry that votes and takes civic engagement seriously. Smart Voter uses the Internet to provide voters with nonpartisan election information.
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Received $1,160 from 16 donations from people like:
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More Information About this Project
Project Needs and Beneficiaries
The democratic system is founded on the principle of consent of the governed. Yet in the last federal election less than half of all eligible citizens voted. Polls show that people are more likely to vote if they believe they have accurate information about the election and the voting process. Smart Voter is provided as a free public service by the League of Women Voters to help voters of all affiliations make educated decisions.
Activities
Extensive, informative and easy to use, the League of Women Voters’ voter information website at http://smartvoter.org is a user-friendly design providing access to a huge store of information of use to voters throughout the state.
Funding Information
Total Funding Received to Date: $1,160
Remaining Goal to be Funded: $26,340
Total Funding Goal: $27,500
Additional Documentation
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
Resources
Why this Project is Important
Potential Long Term Impact
The goal of the project is to engage citizens in the voting process by providing good, unbiased information on which to base their decisions.
Project Message
“It’s important to make an informed decision in the voting booth. Smart Voter provides voters with both sides of an issue before they cast their vote.”
- Trudell Een, Project Director
When this Project was Updated
Last Updated
This project was last updated on March 14, 2007.
Date Added to GlobalGiving
This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on June 29, 2004.
Latest Update from the Field
Smart Voter Expansion
By Trudell Een - Project Director, March 14, 2007 05:37 PM
Web site Statistics
The number of page views for November general elections 2007 was over 7,000,000; Web sites that linked to Smart Voter were 6,000. There were 5,000 candidates listed, and nearly 400 ballot measures. Participating states included California, New York and Ohio.
New York
The LWV’s in Westchester County are setting up for municipal elections on March 20, 2007. This will mark the 70th election serviced by Smart Voter since its inception in 1996. This year alone, Smart Voter will cover an estimated 500 contests with over 2,000 candidates -- all local elections where candidates struggle to get known and voters are frustrated for lack of reliable information.
Expansion
In January 2007, Trudell Een, Project Director, visited with LWV’s in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Cincinnati Areas. Presentations featured project awards, successful partnerships, Web site coverage on college, community, media and individual Web sites such as MySpace; special features, cost, fundraising sources and sample applications; responsibilities and opportunities.
The LWV’s (3) of Delaware County in southeastern PA (Philadelphia area) are setting up on Smart Voter to support voter information for school board and state judicial elections on May 15, 2007. The LWV of the Greater Pittsburgh area is seeking funding for November 2007 and 2008 elections.
Unsolicited Feedback from November 2006
"EXCELLENT WEBSITE!!! This project should definitely be expanded to everyone in New York State!!!"
"Smartvoter.org is an excellent site! The content is incredibly informative and well researched. The site is easy to navigate and a good source for unbiased facts. Thank you!"
"I'm a first-time voter, and your site really helps me make confident decisions."
"The layout is very nice, easy to navigate, and provides great information. This is an excellent site."
Blogs
This persuasive blog on the importance of voting refers people to Smart Voter. It was posted by Abe Munder, The Wheeled Wonder at:
http://thewheeledwonder.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!791265F99351879D!1138.entry
Links:
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