2006 Your Candidates-Your Health Voter Guide Debuts Mid-September
Research!America and the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation are preparing to launch a valuable tool for voters nationwide. In mid-September, visitors to www.yourcandidatesyourhealth.org will be able to find their candidates' views on medical, health and scientific research, as well as results of a new poll showing what Americans think about those same issues.
The 2006 Your Candidates-Your Health Voter Guide was launched in July with an invitation to all 2006 Congressional candidates to answer 10 questions about research.
The candidates' responses will be presented in an easy-to-use format, searchable by ZIP code, state and candidate name. Although similar efforts have been undertaken by other interest groups over the years, this is the first such national survey of candidates to focus on research.
Research!America continues its outreach to drive even more candidates to submit their views for the voter guide, including ads in policy publications The Hill and National Journal.
Members with grassroots membership or advocacy networks are asked to reach out to Congressional candidates in their areas and encourage them to respond to this important voter education initiative.
We will continue to post new responses after the guide's launch.
In addition, Research!America and the Lasker Foundation commissioned a national public opinion poll. It features questions similar to those being asked of the candidates. The results will provide informative insights into the views of the general public and candidates for Congress.
"The goals of this program are twofold," said The Honorable John Edward Porter, Research!America chair and former Illinois congressman. "First, we want to educate the voting public broadly, and specifically the 125 million Americans represented by our members, about their candidates' positions regarding research." According to recent Research! America public opinion polling, only 9% of Americans say they are well informed about their elected officials' positions on these issues.
"Second, and no less important, we want to show candidates how much their constituents care about medical, health and science research," Porter said.
Research!America has been polling Americans about these issues for 14 years, and it is clear that they place a high value on our nation's global leadership in research.
"Voters can use this guide to inform their decisions at the polls in November, and we hope this will spur candidates to add research to their platforms," said Neen Hunt, EdD, president of the Lasker Foundation. "It's really about jumpstarting this dialogue and stressing the importance of research in Americans' lives."
Other partners in Your Candidates-Your Health include the American Heart Association, Association of American Medical Colleges, The Hill, National Alliance for Hispanic Health and Society for Neuroscience.
This fall, Research!America will further engage its network of media partners in promoting the online voter guide.
Originally published 9/2006
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