The Campaign Finance Board today announced the publication of its official New York City Voter Guide for the 2009 general election. Beginning today, 3.3 million households will receive a copy of the Voter Guide by mail and an interactive Guide will be posted on the CFB website (see address below).
“The Voter Guide is an important part of the CFB’s mission to help empower New York City voters,” said CFB Executive Director Amy Loprest. “One way to encourage more New Yorkers to vote is to ensure they have the information to help them make educated decisions on Election Day.”
Colorful, oversized Guides in targeted editions are mailed only to households with eligible general election voters. Voters’ council, assembly, and election district numbers are printed on the mailing label to help them find the correct voting machine at the polls. The Guide is published in English and Spanish, and in Chinese and Korean in certain districts consistent with the federal Voting Rights Act.
Each candidate for local office has the opportunity, free of charge, to submit a profile: biographical information and answers to questions about their platforms, along with a photo. No matter which office a candidate seeks, or how much money that candidate has raised, all candidates in the Guide are on an equal footing, receiving the same amount of space in the Guide.
The Voter Guide is the cornerstone of the CFB’s comprehensive voter education program. Since 1989, the CFB has produced and mailed the nonpartisan Guide to registered voters in the five boroughs before each local primary and general election, using voter registration data obtained from the City Board of Elections.
WEB GUIDE AVAILABLE
For the increasing number of voters seeking voting information online, the CFB posts an interactive Voter Guide on its website at www.nyccfb.info/VoterGuide. Voters can enter their address to view a Guide tailored to their home district, or simply browse candidate profiles by name or office. Links allow visitors to e-mail campaigns and view PDFs of the Guide in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean as well as other sites of interest.