Richard Dreyfuss Joins Advisory Board of Vote iQ

Actor urges civics education and voter empowerment at Commonwealth Club Speech

SAN FRANCISCO, July 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Academy Award-winning Actor Richard Dreyfuss, whose vision on the "miracle of America" was shared at the Commonwealth Club here this week, has joined the Vote iQ Advisory Board (www.voteiq.com). He believes civic education and voter empowerment are key to American Democracy. Vote iQ, a Seattle-based new voter empowerment and political communications platform, launches nationally tomorrow. It will focus on nine key swing states for the midterms and beyond, including California.  

Dreyfuss came to Palo Alto this week to address executives at the Commonwealth Club about the importance of civil discourse in a democracy. His passion is Civics and ensuring Americans are educated about issues and the political leaders who represent them. He also is on the board of advisors of Vote iQ (www.voteiq.com) – along with James Carville, Frank Luntz, James Fallows of the Atlantic, Ellen Miller of Sunlight Foundation and other political and media stars. That collective thinking may just bridge the gap Dreyfuss fears.

The actor has appeared or starred in over 100 movies. In the political movie arena, he has portrayed Vice President Richard Cheney, General Alexander Haig, and a fictitious Republican Senator trying to foil a President. Dreyfuss believes both parties care about helping voters understand today's issues.

"America and American Democracy is a miracle, but we are at risk of losing our special status in the world as an enlightened country owing to our citizenry's indifference to civics," says Dreyfuss. "I believe the Internet can change the dynamic.  Vote iQ starts the engagement in real conversation."

He became involved with Vote iQ after reading a book by author Rick Shenkman, VP of Content & Media for the Seattle-based company. The book, Just How Stupid Are We: The Truth About the American Voter shows American diffidence and lack of information. Only one in four Americans can name the three branches of government.

Jim Tisch, CEO of Vote iQ, has built a platform for matching voters, politicians and how they may agree or disagree on issues. The site is now live this week (www.voteiq.com).  "I am proud to bring technology and political discussion together," says Tisch. "This is our best chance to help Americans regain control of who is representing them. We at Vote iQ hope the online discussion, issues and quizzes presented, and political views of some 70,000 politicians in our database changes the vitriol and partisanship too often found in our discourse."

(Available) – Transcript of Remarks at the Commonwealth Club available at: http://commonwealthclub.org/

(Sources Available in San Francisco next week) – Shenkman, Tisch - bios attached link

http://www.voteiq.com/about/management-team

SOURCE Vote iQ

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