SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – A British newspaper urged readers to write to Ohio voters to share their thoughts on the presidential race.
The Guardian of London published a special section Wednesday, inviting readers to contact voters in Clark County, about 30 miles west of Columbus, about the importance of the Nov. 2 election.
Under the headline, "football and mowers," the paper described the county as a good example of American life outside of big cities and noted that Ohio is a key swing state.
By logging onto the paper's Web site, anyone can put in an e-mail address and receive the name and address of a registered voter who is not affiliated with a political party. The paper received more than 3,000 requests the first day.
The newspaper's Web site said letter-writers were free to support either President Bush or Sen. John Kerry but noted that a Guardian poll showed 47 percent of Britons back Kerry and 16 percent support Bush.
Features Editor Ian Katz said the newspaper would be pleased if the project gave U.S. voters "a little more awareness, perhaps, of just how huge the effect of American policy is on the rest of the world."
"In many ways this election will have more impact in our countries than our own political elections do," Katz said.
The paper also offered a three-day trip to Clark County for the four best letters.
Linda Rosicka, director of the Clark County Board of Elections, said the paper paid $25 for a list of all registered voters. Anyone can buy the list, and purchasers can extract whatever segment of voters they want.
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