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For immediate release.
Mar. 24, 2006
Contact: Bryan Warner, N.C. Center for Voter Education, 877-258-6837 (toll free)

Order on the Net: Voters Can 'Judge for Yourself' with New Online Radio Show

RALEIGH - One can just imagine the robed silhouette, gavel in hand, dancing along with a pop rock song in the spirit of Apple's popular iTunes TV ads.

North Carolina's judicial elections have entered the new frontier of podcasting, in hopes of connecting Tar Heel voters with the often little-known candidates running for the state's highest courts.

To empower voters with information on statewide court contests, the nonpartisan N.C. Center for Voter Education has launched “Judge for Yourself”, a special twelve-part series featuring exclusive interviews with candidates running in the May 2 primary for the N.C. Supreme Court or N.C. Court of Appeals.

Voters across the state can now download installments for free via the N.C. Center for Voter Education's new NCCVE Podcasts available through the iTunes Music Store or at www.ncvotered.com.

And starting March 27, “Judge for Yourself” will air in the Raleigh-Durham market on 570-AM WDNZ each Monday morning at 8 a.m., and each Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. New and archived episodes will also be available online at www.stategovernmentradio.com.

The program addresses concerns held by nine out of ten Tar Heel voters about a lack of information on judicial candidates, according to a study commissioned by the N.C. Center for Voter Education. The research also revealed that the number-one reason potential Tar Heel voters don't cast a ballot is because they lack the facts needed to have confidence in their vote.

Chris Heagarty, executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, will host “Judge for Yourself” and interview candidates one-on-one, giving voters an in-depth look at these races that they won't find anywhere else.

Heagarty points out that with no election for the White House, Governor's Mansion or U.S. Senate on the ballot this year, the races for the N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals are the only 2006 statewide contests in North Carolina. He hopes “Judge for Yourself” will raise voter awareness about these judicial elections and move people to the polls on May 2.

“Folks want to vote in these races, but they want to cast an informed ballot," says Heagarty. "If we can help put the candidates out in front of the public, and give the candidates a forum to share their qualifications and background, then voters can decide for themselves who they'll support, with good information to back it up.”

“Judge for Yourself” supplements an online voter guide featuring these races for the state's highest courts. The free guide, produced by the State Board of Elections and promoted by the N.C. Center for Voter Education, will be available at www.ncvoterguide.org after April 1.

Following its initial twelve-episode run, “Judge for Yourself” will return this fall in an expanded format featuring all four races for the N.C. Supreme Court and the two N.C. Court of Appeals contests.

The N.C. Center for Voter Education is a Raleigh-based nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the quality of elections in North Carolina through research and education.

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