WASHINGTON - January 29 - Kay J. Maxwell, President of the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS), will announce A Time for Action: A New Vision of Participatory Democracy, at a press conference in Chicago on Thursday, January 29, 2004. The report, sponsored by Boeing, is a culmination of a year-long study on youth civic participation by the League of Women Voters of Chicago.

A Time for Action analyzes the long-term decline in voting, focusing on young adults as the group with both the lowest participation and the greatest potential for re-engagement. The report also highlights what every public official needs to know and do to connect with young constituents.

"It's time that candidates give young voters the attention they deserve," stated Maxwell. "Candidates must recognize that young voters can no longer be dismissed as apathetic, and will in fact be instrumental to 2004 and all future elections," Maxwell concluded.

The press conference will begin at 10:00am at the Cook County Clerk's office in Chicago. Along with Maxwell, the scheduled speakers will include: Cook County Clerk David Orr and Leo Burnett Vice-President Kerry Stranman.

The report is available at: http://www.lwv.org/join/elections/lwvil_nvopd.pdf

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