Non-Partisan Voter Education and Registration Project Launching This Week

Innovative non-partisan voter education and registration project set to launch in Iowa targeting those who are less likely to register, vote and/or engage in civic participation.

(PRWEB) August 20, 2003 -- Black Hawk County will be the first site of an innovative statewide non-partisan voter education and registration project being launched by The Living Project (TLP). Citing reports that express the lack of voting nationally, statewide, and locally in Black Hawk County, The Living Project is launching the Political Awareness for Voter Education (P.A.V.E.) project where local people will be actively engaged in an innovative non-partisan voter education and registration initiative.

Non-partisan voter registration and education programs concentrating on those who are less likely to register and/or exercise their right to vote (young people, minority populations, homeless, low-income), as well as stimulating, encouraging, and engaging those in civic participation, who are not able to vote (those not of voting age, those who have lost their voting rights, and non-American citizens), are slim in the State of Iowa, and virtually non-existent in Black Hawk County.

As a result, there has been little accountability for educating and motivating these community members to vote and/or be active in civic participation. Contrary to being ranked at 30 out of 50 in population within the United States, Iowa is a key state for the presidential election.

"We are very concerned that we live in a democracy, but there is a strong lack of civic participation and active voters in our country, and especially among various communities in Iowa. We at The Living Project believe that democracy is an agent for empowerment. When we engage in civic participation and/or exercise our right to vote, we use our power to influence issues that affect our lives," said Saba Abebe, Board of Di-rectors, President.

P.A.V.E. has three primary goals:

To register people to vote, strengthen communities and support their confidence in their abilities to ask questions of candidates and cast an informed vote.

To ensure that the poll areas, the various communities, and general public are equally equipped with accurate information about their voting rights, and by thus, empowering, supporting, and fully integrating everyone's right to vote.

To provide an outlet for non-American citizens to learn about the voting process, as well as provide open dialogue sessions where American citizens can discuss candidate platform issues with non-American citizens on issues that affect all residents.

In partnership with local and national organizations and companies, such as the Waterloo Public Library, Student Government of Northern Iowa, National Coalition for the Homeless, National Coalition for Students with Disabilities, and Defcon3 (Russell Simmons Beverage Company), TLP is launching P.A.V.E. Anyone interested in participating with P.A.V.E. and/or learning more about TLP are invited to attend an infor-mational open house, at 501 Sycamore Street, Mezzanine Hall, Waterloo, Iowa on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 at 6:30pm.

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