The Campaign Finance Board today announced the publication of its official New York City Voter Guide for the 2009 Primary elections. More than 2.7 million households will receive a copy of the Voter Guide by mail beginning today, 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 through the political process,” said CFB Executive Director Amy Loprest. “The Guide gives every candidate a platform to communicate their ideas to New York City voters, and it gives citizens important information they can use to make educated decisions on Election Day.”
Colorful, oversized Guides in targeted editions are mailed only to households with eligible Primary 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.