Public service announcements urge eligible voters to register, verify,

and vote



    WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 /EMWNews/ -- The National Coalition

on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and American Urban Radio Networks

(AURN) have launched a nonpartisan radio campaign aimed at ensuring

Americans register, verify their names on voter rolls and vote on Election

Day.



    "AURN has a direct line into the hearts and minds of our target

audience," said Melanie Campbell, executive director and CEO, NCBCP. "We're

delighted that America's largest African American owned radio network

company has joined with us to educate voters, protect our vote and turn out

the Black community in record numbers in this historic election."



    Jerry Lopes, president of program operations and affiliations for AURN

adds, "NCBCP has a long history of making sure people participate in a

process that our ancestors died for; as a radio network reaching 20 million

African Americans weekly, we're pleased to join hands with them to insure

people participate in this most basic and fundamental right."



    Over the next two months, the Unity '08 Campaign will target 18 states

with their message of "Be the Change." According to the organization, in

addition to promoting the NCBCP's Unity '08 voter assistance hotline

1-866-MYVOTE-1, the goal in the initial phase of the radio campaign is to

make sure each eligible voter is registered, locates their polling place in

advance and knows what to do if they incur problems at the polls.



    "This is critical information that every voter should know before they

cast a ballot," adds Campbell. "That's why we're so excited about our

partnership with AURN. We know that the way to send a message to the Black

world is through radio, and AURN is our conduit to over 20 million

potential voters."



    The radio campaign will support the NCBCP's Unity '08 representatives

on the ground in those states who will register voters, host education

forums, get-out-the-vote rallies and assist voters at the polls on Election

Day.



    The initial phase of the campaign runs through October 1 and will be

followed with phase two, encouraging citizens to vote early or on Election

Day, November 4, 2008.