California "Easy Voter Guide" Online for Primary Election

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, in partnership with the League of Women Voters and the California State Library, today encouraged California voters to make use of the popular Easy Voter Guide, which offers plain-language information for the June 3, 2008, Statewide Direct Primary Election.

The nonpartisan Easy Voter Guide explains the duties of each elected office and includes a primer on ballot propositions that helps voters understand what "yes" and "no" votes mean. More than a million copies of the Easy Voter Guide were mailed to voters before the February 5, 2008, Presidential Primary Election.

"The user-friendly Easy Voter Guide, along with my office's Official Voter Information Guide, gives Californians the information they need before they head to the polls," said Bowen, the state's chief elections officer. "Before voting on June 3, I hope all California voters reach for both of these informative guides to answer questions they may have about issues on the ballot."

The Official Voter Information Guide, produced by the Secretary of State's office, will be mailed to all registered California voters in late April, and is already available online.

Anyone can order free hard copies of the Easy Voter Guide on a first-come, first-served basis. Downloadable guides will be available next month in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.

The Secretary of State's office, League of Women Voters, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, and Univision 14/Telefuturo 66 of San Francisco aim to distribute more than one million copies of the Easy Voter Guide in five languages. The guides will be available at public libraries, county elections offices, community colleges, adult schools, high schools, and churches. They also will be offered to California newspapers to help them augment election coverage.

Production of the Easy Voter Guide is managed by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund, along with the Secretary of State's office, and the California State Library with funding from the James Irvine Foundation and the AT&T Foundation.

The last day for eligible Californians to register to vote in the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election is May 19. The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot is May 27.