WASHINGTON -- October 29 -- Common Cause, the national non-partisan advocacy organization, announced today that it will provide information, updated throughout Election Day, on voting trouble spots in key states, based on its voter alert line, 1-866-MYVOTE1 and on-the-ground monitoring. More information is available at www.commoncause.org.

Creating a one-stop source on voting trouble spots, Common Cause announced the following activities:

• National, toll-free non-partisan telephone line, 1-866-MYVOTE1, sponsored by a consortium of groups. More than 33,500 citizens have already phoned in to obtain their polling location, record a message about their voting experience or get patched through to local elections officials.
• Released advisories laying out voting landscape in 23 states to voters and members of the media. Also published guides to the 2004 election for reporters and citizens, all of which are available on the website.
• Common Cause and the consortium will have a team of analysts, including election experts and political scientists, at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where the voter alert line is located. The team will be listening to messages left on the phone line, collecting anecdotal information throughout the day on issues such as whether polls opened on time, long lines at precincts, registration problems, mechanical problems and voter identification issues, among others. We will also include information from field volunteers and Common Cause’s 38 state offices, as it becomes available.
• Election Day Media Briefings scheduled for 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET to inform reporters, producers and editors about information coming in from voters on the voter alert line nationally and on-the-ground polling station volunteers in states that may include Ohio, Florida, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania. Common Cause will have both aggregate data and anecdotal information. Call in #: 800-247-9979
  Ask for the Election Day Monitoring call (there is no password).

Common Cause is a non-partisan citizen activists group with nearly 300,000 members and supporters and 38 state chapters. Founded in 1970 by John Gardner, the organization advocates for honest, open and accountable government, as well as citizen participation in government.

The consortium includes the Fels Institute for Government at the University of Pennsylvania, the Reform Institute, the Hispanic Voter Project at Johns Hopkins University and the National Constitution Center.

Chellie Pingree
Chellie Pingree has been the president and CEO of Common Cause since March 2003. Prior to leading Common Cause, Pingree served for eight years in the Maine Senate, with the last four years as majority leader. She was also a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in 2002.

In the Maine Legislature, Pingree was known for successful legislative battles regarding health care, economic development and the environment. She authored legislation that created a landmark program known as Maine Rx, which lowered the cost of prescription drug prices for seniors. She was the winner of several awards including Consumer Health Advocate of the Year by Families, USA.

In her 2002 Senate bid, Pingree garnered 42 percent of the vote against a popular incumbent, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, in a campaign known for its vast grassroots support and outreach efforts.

In 1998, Pingree was an international election monitor for the White House in Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia. To interview or book Chellie Pingree, President of Common Cause, contact: Kawana Lloyd or Jessica Smith at: 202-822-5200.

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