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Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Launches Voter Initiative

With voter registration deadlines having come and gone in moststates, many leaders are wondering what the next step should be inthe fight to get Blacks to the polls on Nov. 2. Some believe thenew task should be educating new voters about the issues involvedin this election. Others seek to answer questions on the votingprocess. In response to the many things left to accomplish beforeElection Day, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) haslaunched Project INFORMEDVoter to assure that every voter iscounted and prepared when the day comes.

“We’ve been active in numerousvoter projects behind the scenes. Now we want to expand ourinvolvement and take it to a level that fits the urgency of thecoming election,” says Weldon J. Rougeau, CBCF President. 

The non-partisan entity plans to capitalize onthis year’s earlier election work and aims to aggressivelyenhance its outreach methods and provide information resources toassists voters in making informed decisions.

During the year, the CBCF has held acollaborative relationship with Unity ’04 EmpowermentCampaign. Under this umbrella, the CBCF partnered with radiopersonality, Tom Joyner and the TV One Network to run publicservice announcements. The CBCF has also held several forums andsymposiums on college campuses to encourage youth to vote andexplore the importance of their vote.

“What is unique about ProjectINFORMEDVoter is CBCF’s link to Congress through theCongressional Black Caucus. Because we are a public policy andeducation think tank that houses numerous community outreachprograms, we are positioned to have a strong voice in advocatingparticipation in the voting process,” says Rougeau.

Project INFORMEDVoter’s first officialmove will be a string of open forums surrounding the presidentialdebates. The group intends to bring community leaders, Members ofCongress, government officials, ad the general public into one roomto view the debates and interact in roundtable discussions.

For more information check the CongressionalBlack Caucus Foundation website, www.cbcf.org.