Press Advisory:

Contact: Jesse Jenkins, Sr. 513-400-6536

Ohio Unity Coalition Launches Stand Your Ground…Vote: Statewide 2012 Voter Empowerment Tour on Saturday, July 14, 2012 in Cincinnati.

A coalition of faith, labor, civil and voter rights groups along with community activists will launch the Stand Your Ground… Vote, 2012 Voter Empowerment Tour at 11 AM on Saturday, July 14, 2012 at the Corinthian Baptist Church at 722 Whittier Street in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is the first stop of a multi-city tour across Ohio, where a mobile voter registration unit will go into local communities, help voters verify their registration status and register new voters. Voters who have moved or changed their names will also be able to update their registration and obtain non-partisan information about the upcoming election.

Election advocates estimate that as many as 1.3 million Ohio voters have been purged from the voter rolls since the last presidential election cycle. The Voter Empowerment Tour will allow eligible voters to check their status, make any needed updates and be assured they can fully participate in the fall 2012 election.

Local Faith and Community Leaders were excited to partner with the Unity Coalition on this effort stated Pastor KZ Smith of Corinthian Baptist Church. “Whether we represent the faith, labor or social service community we know that every person needs to be able to exercise their voice and their vote in this election. If we do our part to educate and engage voters, we are empowering them to use the vote that many of us fought so hard to obtain. Our rights have been threatened by voter suppression tactics in recent years and this is our way to Stand Our Ground.”

“We know the first step to participating in the process is being registered,” says Petee Talley, Convener of the Ohio Unity Coalition. ” We want to do our part to eliminate confusion around election rules and make it easier for eligible voters to participate.”

While in Cincinnati over the course of 10 days, the mobile unit will move to various locations around the city. For more information about the stops in Cincinnati and the Unity Coalition, contact Petee Talley, Convener toll free at 1-888-614-0844.