Witness Wins First 'Cultural Election' In Interactive Voter-Education Campaign

Witness Wins First 'Cultural Election' In Interactive Voter-Education Campaign

This Week: What is Your Favorite Pennsylvania College Football Team?

LANCASTER, Pa., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvanians have selected the movie "Witness" as the winner of the first "cultural election," which is part of the state's Ready.Set.Vote. voter education initiative.

Participants selected the movie using a virtual polling place at http://www.votespa.com/ as part of the state's effort to teach citizens how to use HAVA - (Help America Vote Act) compliant voting machines in the upcoming May 16 primary elections.

"When people go to vote this year, they will cast their ballots on electronic voting machines that are compliant with the Help America Vote Act, or HAVA," said Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortes. "As Pennsylvanians participate in the interactive cultural elections, they will learn how their voting machines work and be prepared to vote at the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 16, 2006."

Last week, voters who participated in the "cultural elections" were asked to choose their favorite filmed-in-Pennsylvania movie from a ballot of four "candidates." Write-ins were also allowed.

The Pennsylvania Department of State presented a certificate to the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau for Witness, the 1985 movie filmed largely in Lancaster County. Other contenders on the inaugural ballot included Girl, Interrupted (made in Harrisburg), Rocky (Philadelphia) and The Silence of the Lambs (Pittsburgh). Each week, voters will be presented with a new question.

The new cultural question for this week deals with sports in Pennsylvania: "What is your favorite Pennsylvania college football team?" Choices include Lehigh University, Penn State University, Slippery Rock University, University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh. Beginning today, voters can submit their vote at http://www.votespa.com/. There will be a place for write- in candidates as well.

A new cultural election question will be featured on the Web site each Tuesday until May 16. The site offers a Spanish version of the "cultural elections" as well. For more information, visit http://www.votespa.com/, or call 1-877-VOTESPA.

CONTACT: Leslie Amoros or
Loida Esbri (State)
717-783-1621

Source: Pennsylvania Department of State

CONTACT: Leslie Amoros or Loida Esbri (State), +1-717-783-1621

Web site: http://www.state.pa.us/
http://www.votespa.com/

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