LDF Encourages Voters to Take Advantage of Early Voting and Launches 866-OUR-VOTE Voter Hotline

NEW YORK, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) is launching a Know Your Rights voter protection program.  LDF remains committed to protecting the rights of all voters in the City of New Orleans, including those who remain displaced, those working to rebuild and those who have recently returned to the city.  On Election Day, New Orleans residents are urged to call the following toll-free hotline: 1-866-OUR VOTE. The hotline will be staffed by attorneys and volunteers who will help assist voters with problems or issues that arise during the election.  The 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline will be available on Election Day between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

LDF is also encouraging voters in New Orleans to take advantage of the early voting process.  "Given Sunday night's historic victory for the New Orleans Saints and the possibility that some voters may be leaving the city for the upcoming Superbowl, it is important that voters be aware of early voting opportunities for this primary election," said Kristen Clarke, Co-Director of LDF's Political Participation Group. Any eligible voter can cast their ballot during the early voting period.  The early voting period, already underway, ends on January 30, 2010. Voters may cast ballots between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the following locations:

• The Registrar of Voters office at City Hall Room No. 1W23, 1300 Perdido Street
• The Registrar of Voters Branch Office Room 105, 225 Morgan St. in Algiers Point
• The Voting Machine Warehouse, 8870 Chef Menteur Highway

Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in partnership with numerous local and national civil rights organizations, LDF has helped countless voters overcome Election Day barriers and hurdles. The 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline is made available by through Election Protection -- the nation's largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition, led by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "We want to ensure that all eligible voters are able to freely cast a ballot during the mayoral primary election and have that vote counted," said Dorian Spence of LDF.

ABOUT LDF

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) is America's legal counsel on issues of race. Through advocacy and litigation, LDF focuses on issues of education, voter protection, economic justice and criminal justice. We encourage students to embark on careers in the public interest through scholarships and internship programs. LDF pursues racial justice to move our nation toward a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all.

Media Contact: Mel Gagarin, (212) 965-2783

SOURCE NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund