First Ever e Democracy Symposium
Online campaigning expert and CEO of ElectionMall Technologies,
Inc. Ravi Singh will discuss how candidates engage and inform
voters through the Internet at the first ever international conference
focused on local e-democracy. The International Symposium on Local
E-Democracy will explore leading e-democracy trends around the
world and will include field visits to area government and community
e-democracy projects.
Minneapolis, MN, USA, July 25, 2005
Singh will be on a panel discussing e-voting, voter education,
and voter participation in the information age.
"On-line voting should be a reality," said Singh. "Internationally,
several countries are ahead of the United States in terms of taking
advantage of different types of technology and the United States
has struggled to standardize and modernize its voting and electoral
procedures. I think this opportunity will be first of many on
going discussions."
According to The Internet and Campaign 2004, a report by the
Pew Internet and American Life Project, 35% of Internet users,
or about 43 million people, said that they used email to discuss
politics. 49% of all Internet users said "the Internet raised
the overall quality of debate" during the 2004 campaign,
while only 5% said the quality of debate was lowered.
"There is no doubt that the Internet is here to stay and
will play an increasingly crucial role in upcoming elections whether
from a candidate's or from a voter's perspective," said Singh.
"We are just beginning to see the emergence of true e-democracy
here in the United States and around the world."
Singh is the founder of ElectionMall Technologies, Inc., a leading
non-partisan technology company that provides candidates, citizens,
and political parties with tools and products to help them win
elections.
Singh, a native of Chicago, Illinois, was the first Asian Sikh
American to run for a seat in the Illinois State House with a
turban and again made history during his campaign by launching
both the first "online chat - town hall meeting" and
Internet candidate campaign website in the district in 1997.
Singh has been described as the "Campaign Guru," and
USA Today Weekend Magazine(R) recently named Ravi as one of the
"five new powerbrokers whose sites and bites may well influence
how you cast your ballot come November."
The International Symposium on Local E-Democracy will take place
on July 26 at the Herbert F. Humphrey Center at the University
of Minnesota.
About ElectionMall Technologies Inc.:
Founded by Ravi Singh in 1999 and funded by Microsoft executive
George Spix, ElectionMall Technologies, Inc. is a leader in campaign
and election technologies providing a "one-stop-shop"
approach to clients ranging from the last two presidential races
to local school board elections. ElectionMall Technologies, Inc.
is also a member of the European Association of Political Consultants
(EAPC), American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC),
and the International Association of Political Consultants (IAPC)
with offices in Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles.
News Source: Send2Press News Wire
