LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, NATIONAL HEAD START ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE MAJOR JOINT VOTER REGISTRATION, EDUCATION PUSH

Two Groups Will Work Together to Increase Registration By Head Start Parents, Teachers and Others in Communities Ahead of November Election

WASHINGTON, D.C.///September 15, 2008///The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) announced today that they will work together to promote voter education and registration at local Head Start facilities across the nation.
NHSA will encourage local Head Start programs to allow the League to conduct nonpartisan voter registration efforts at their facilities and encourage the programs to participate voting-related education events.

As part of the effort, NHSA also will promote League educational content and resources through its Web site at http://www.nhsa.org.

NHSA Board Chairman Ron Herndon, who also is the director of the Albina Head Start program (Portland, OR), said: "The National Head Start Association feels it is very important to increase voter registration rates among local Head Start communities and is excited to work with the League of Women Voters on this important effort.  Since Head Start seeks to empower families, increasing nonpartisan voter education and registration is very much in line with the federal Head Start program's goals."

"The League is pleased to be joining forces with the National Head Start Association on this important initiative to encourage Americans to register and vote on November 4th," said National League of Women Voters President Mary G. Wilson.  "We are particularly proud that this partnership will help fulfill our mission of encouraging a truly representative voting public; and that it will bring together Americans of all backgrounds to stand up for our democracy in this important election year."

The important new League of Women Voters/National Head Start Association initiative was made possible by a new provision of the recently reauthorized Head Start Act signed into law in December 2007.  The specific provision allows "nonpartisan organizations" (such as LWVUS) to use Head Start facilities "during hours of operation . . . to increase the number of eligible citizens who register to vote in elections for Federal office." 

This provision of the amended Head Start Act is consistent with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (commonly known as the "Motor Voter Registration Act"), in which Congress recognized the importance of increasing access to voter registration opportunities to low-income populations that have historically been disenfranchised, by mandating registration opportunities in locations accessible to disenfranchised populations. 

ABOUT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in the League is open to men and women of all ages.  With more than 88 years of experience and 850 local and state affiliates, the League is one ofAmerica's most trusted grassroots organizations.

ABOUT NHSA

The National Head Start Association (http://www.nhsa.org) is a private not-for-profit membership organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of Head Start children and their families. It represents more than 1 million children, 200,000 staff and 2,600 Head Start programs in the United States. The Association provides support for the entire Head Start community by advocating for policies that strengthen services to Head Start children and their families; by providing extensive training and professional development to Head Start staff; and by developing and disseminating research, information, and resources that enrich Head Start program delivery.

CONTACT:   Ailis Aaron Wolf, (703) 276-3265 or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com, for NHSA; and Maggie Duncan, (202) 263-1332 or mduncan@lwv.org, for the League of Women Voters.