October 5, 2000
ROSEMEAD, Calif., Oct. 5, 2000-Southern California Edison today greeted California's Business Outreach Day for voter registration, sponsored by California Secretary of State Bill Jones, with news of success in a month-long voter registration drive among SCE employees.
To encourage new voters, SCE drew employee attention to its voter registration Web site, which linked with one sponsored by the Business-Industry Political Action Committee's Project 2000. That site guided visitors to downloadable state voter registration forms. Since Sept. 11, SCE's Web site recorded 1,665 downloads of voter registration forms from 14 different states, a number equivalent to about 12% of SCE's work force of more than 13,000.
"SCE decided to get out front with voter registration, because we understand how much each vote can count," said Stephen E. Frank, SCE's CEO and president. "In 1960, the presidential race was decided on a margin equivalent to one vote per precinct. Through this successful registration drive, we're helping our employees gain a voice, no matter what their preferences may be, in what promises to be a very evenly matched political contest this year."
In addition to the Web site, SCE placed voter registration displays in key employee gathering areas and offices, said Jerry Silva, Strategic Information Manager for Public Affairs, who implemented SCE's online voter registration drive.
"While the number of forms downloaded likely includes a few extras that were provided to family and friends, we understand that the percentage of extras is generally low," Silva said. "That's a good indication that we have a lot of new voters among our employees. They are now eligible to help elect the next president on Nov. 7."
Business Outreach Day is one of the theme days in what Jones has declared to be Voter Registration Week in California, Oct. 2-6. SCE's new voters are eligible to vote in the Nov. 7 presidential elections. The last day to register to vote in California is Tuesday, Oct. 10.
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An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving more than 11 million people in a 50,000-square-mile area within central, coastal and Southern California.
