California Online Voter Guide is now available
Nonpartisan guide helps California voters do their homework and follow the money
Published on Oct 6, 2008 - 9:17:10 AM

By: California Voter Foundation

Sacramento, CA Oct. 6, 2008 - Voters looking for reliable, nonpartisan information on the Internet will find a valuable source at the California Voter Foundation's web site, www.calvoter.org, which now features the new California Online Voter Guide.

"With twelve propositions on California's ballot, voters have some homework to do," said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation (CVF). The new online guide makes researching propositions easy and helps voters "follow the money" by listing the top donors for and against each measure. "Knowing the financial backers of proposition campaigns is a great shortcut for voters," Alexander noted.

In addition to propositions, the new voter guide features information on all the presidential, congressional and legislative candidates on California's ballot, a directory of all 58 counties' voting equipment, maps of California political districts, contact information for county election offices, and tips on how to host an election house party. CVF will continue to update the online guide and its Internet election resources throughout the election season, including the top proposition donor lists.

Campaigns for and against the twelve propositions have raised roughly $110 million as of mid-September, according to CVF research. More than half of that - $60 million - has been raised by groups supporting and opposing just two measures on the ballot: Prop. 7, which would require utilities to generate more power from renewable resources, and Prop. 8, which would ban gay marriage. In addition to receiving several large donations, Prop. 8 has also attracted thousands of small donations on both sides.

The California Voter Foundation is a pioneer in online voter education, producing its first online voter guide in 1994. CVF's web site won the prestigious Webby award, and the online guide, now in its 17th edition, has been published for every statewide election for the past fifteen years.

The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization advancing the responsible use of technology to improve the democratic process. CVF's 2008 voter education work is supported by a grant from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation.

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