RELEASE: Ahead of May 8 Primary Election, Women’s Public Policy Network Launches Voter Guide Website

PRESS RELEASE: May 3, 2018
CONTACT: Erin Ryan, (440) 382-2900

RELEASE: Ahead of May 8 Primary Election, Women’s Public Policy Network Launches Voter Guide Website

Encourages voters to use their guide as a nonpartisan educational tool to understand candidates’ priorities on issues affecting women and families
COLUMBUS, OH – Ahead of next week’s May 8 primary election in Ohio, the Women’s Public Policy Network launched their 2018 Primary Election Voter Guide . The guide provides voters with a nonpartisan, unbiased tool to understand where candidates stand on policy issues affecting women and families.

“In an election year news outlets are predicting as the “year of the woman”, policy issues affecting women and families should be at the forefront in each and every race in Ohio” said Erin Ryan, Managing Director of the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network. “That’s why we’re so excited to unveil our Voter Guide, which allows voters to learn more about candidates’ stances on crucial issues related to women’s economic security, workplace opportunity, and health.”

The information published in the Voter Guide was obtained by a questionnaire sent to candidates in contested primary races for the Ohio State House, Ohio State Senate, and Ohio State Executive Offices (Attorney General, Auditor, Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Treasurer). The questions were crafted by network partners to help raise awareness of the candidates’ stances and priorities on the three main issue focus areas within the coalition’s policy agenda:

1) Promoting economic security for women,
2) Ensuring fairness and opportunity in the workplace, and
3) Improving women’s health and wellbeing

“Lawmakers have the opportunity to advance policy solutions to issues disproportionately affecting women and families, such as lack of access to paid family leave or affordable child care,” said Monica Cerrezuela, Advocacy & Community Outreach Manager at The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio. “This Voter Guide can serve as the non-partisan, fact-based resource voters need to make informed decisions and increase civic engagement in the 2018 primary elections.”

Candidate responses are searchable by office or district and political party on the Voter Guide website. The guide indicates candidates who did not respond to the questionnaire, but the group will continue to update the guide with responses received by candidates up until the date of the election.

More information about the project and the full Voter Guide are available online, at www.womenspublicpolicynetwork.org/voter-guide.

###
The Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network is a coalition unlike any other group in the state. Formed in 2015 and convened by Innovation Ohio Education Fund, the Women’s Public Policy Network brings together more than 25 key advocacy organizations to advance policies at the local, state, and federal level that create economic security for women and strengthen Ohio families. 
Member organizations of the Women’s Public Policy Network include:
ACTION OHIO
ACLU of Ohio
American Association of University Women of Ohio
Catholics for Choice
Children’s Defense Fund – Ohio
Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap
Hadassah Columbus
Innovation Ohio Education Fund
Jobs with Justice, Cleveland Chapter
Main Street Alliance, Ohio
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Central Ohio Chapter
National Council of Jewish Women, Cleveland Chapter
Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership
Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Ohio Urban Resources Systems (O.U.R.S.)
Ohio NOW
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio
Policy Matters Ohio
ProgressOhio
Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (R.O.O.T.T.)
The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio
The Women’s Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
U.R.G.E
YWCA Dayton
YWCA Greater Cincinnati