Press release
From Children First Buncombe County:
(Asheville, NC) A new nonpartisan voter guide has been launched online and in print to offer an opportunity to raise important issues during the campaign season, to educate voters, and to build relationships between candidates, voters, and organizations that reinforce civic engagement. Survey questions focused on policy priorities, child poverty, and cuts to education funding – and were sent to all candidates who are registered to run for state and local Buncombe County elections. The voter guide also includes basic information on voting in North Carolina, the N.C. Voter Bill of Rights, and early voting locations.
“We’re thrilled that all but 5 candidates at the state and local level submitted responses to our survey,” stated Allison Jordan, Executive Director of Children First/ Communities In Schools. “This demonstrates that they’re willing to get on the record about tough issues such as child poverty that we don’t often hear candidates discussing in election-time sound-bites.”
Jenn Frye, Associate Director of Democracy North Carolina stated: “This voter guide is the product of community organizations coming together to engage candidates in a vibrant discussion about issues that matter in Buncombe County. Our hope is that it will be a great resource for voters, and we thank all the candidates that took time to respond to our survey questions.”
The following organizations cosponsored the 2012 Voter Guide: Asheville City Schools Foundation, Caring for Children, Christians for a United Community, Just Economics of WNC, League of Women Voters, MANNA FoodBank, Smart Start of Buncombe County, OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, WNC AIDS Project, and YWCA of Asheville.
The voter guide is available at www.votebuncombe.org, and print copies are available in various locations across Buncombe County, including the Children First/ CIS office at 50 S. French Broad Avenue, Suite 246.
For more information contact Adrienne Ammerman at AdrienneA@childrenfirstbc.org or 828-259-9717 (w), 202-380-7848 (c).
Children First/Communities In Schools is a local non-profit that provides programs to economically disadvantaged children & families. These include: Family Resource Center at Emma, Latino Outreach, Learning Centers, CIS Success Coordinators, Project POWER/AmeriCorps, Advocacy/Community Engagement. Children First’s mission is to empower children and their families to reach their full potential through advocacy, education and services. The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. To find out more go to www.childrenfirstbc.org.
Democracy North Carolina is a nonpartisan organization that uses research, organizing, and advocacy to increase voter participation, reduce the influence of big money in politics and achieve a government that is truly of the people, for the people and by the people. We envision a government where barriers to vote or serve in public office are removed. We want people to have confidence in their political system and feel ownership of their government, and we want elected officials to represent and respect the diversity and interests of the people they were elected to serve. To find out more go to www.democracy-nc.org.
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