Lifetime Launches Voter/Candidate Drive

Every Woman Counts Campaign a Joint Effort with Redbook, CosmoGIRL!, Nonprofit Groups

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/15/2007 1:55:00 PM

Women's network Lifetime Television is teaming up with Hearst magazines including Redbook and CosmoGIRL! and nonprofit groups to encourage more women to vote -- and run for office.

The network Monday launched its fifth Every Woman Counts campaign, featuring a new coalition comprising the magazines and nonprofits looking to drive voter turnout for the presidential election.

Lifetime said it will conduct polls, hold training sessions on running for office, host events at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, sponsor an essay contest and kick off a voter registration drive with bilingual public-service announcements. It will also collect answers to the question, "If I were president, I would …" and turn the answers into monthly on-air, online and video-on-demand vignettes.

According to Lifetime, 35 million women who could have voted in 2004 didn't -- an election that was decided by a percentage point or two in a key state. The network also pointed out that women hold only 16% of congressional seats.