October 26, 2006 (New York, NY) - The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that involves the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination, and Proskauer Rose LLP, an international law firm with more than 700 lawyers in the United States and Europe, have joined forces with other law firms and voting rights groups as part of Election Protection - a program to protect the right of every eligible Ohio voter to cast a meaningful ballot and have that vote counted in the upcoming November 7 election.

As part of the Election Protection program in Ohio, an Election Day hotline - 866-OUR-VOTE - has been created to assist voters who have questions or problems at the polls. At any point during polling hours, Ohio voters can call this toll-free number and receive free assistance from trained volunteers. In addition to providing essential information such as where to vote, the hotline is set up to help address potential problems such as understanding Ohio's new voter I.D. requirements, how and where to cast a provisional ballot, problems associated with new voting machines, long lines for voters, and inaccurate information from poll workers faced with a barrage of new machines and rules.

"In past years it has been documented that large numbers of Americans, particularly those in minority communities, have been effectively disenfranchised through instances of intimidation at the polls, lack of voter education, inadequately trained poll workers, and voting machines that simply didn't work. This hotline is designed to circumvent those problems and educate voters about their rights," said Jonah Goldman, Director of the Lawyers' Committee National Campaign for Fair Elections.

"Every individual's right to vote is invaluable, and we are sponsoring this hotline to help protect that right in Ohio," said Scott Harshbarger, Chairman of Proskauer Rose's national Pro Bono Initiative and former Massachusetts Attorney General. "This hotline will help to ensure that every eligible voter in Ohio has the opportunity to cast their ballot and make their vote count."

The Ohio hotline is part of the nationwide Election Protection program, the country's most ambitious non-partisan program for preventing Election Day disenfranchisement.

About the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination.

About Election Protection
Election Protection, the nation's largest non-partisan voter protection coalition, is led by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's National Campaign for Fair Elections, the NAACP, the National Bar Association, and People For the American Way Foundation. Election Protection guides voters through the voting process, helping to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot and have their vote counted.