ROANOKE TIMES  
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, November 4, 1996               TAG: 9611040109
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-4  EDITION: METRO  
COLUMN: VIRGINIA JOURNAL
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
      Published correction ran on November 5, 1996.
         The address for CityWeb, Roanoke government's home page on the 
      Internet's WQorld Wide Web, is http://www.ci.roanoke.va.us. The address 
      was incorrect in an item published Monday.

CITYWEB POSTS ELECTION RETURNS, INCLUDING EACH PRECINCT'S VOTES

Will you be scoring congressional, senatorial and national elections Tuesday night?

To heck with chicken scratches on a pad of paper. If you have a computer and an Internet connection, your printer can roll out neatly typed results, right off Roanoke's page on the World Wide Web.

The site, called CityWeb, will post unofficial election returns sometime between 9 and 11 p.m. Tuesday.

The data will include votes in each of the city's 33 precincts. Residents can see how their neighborhood voted for president, the House and Senate, and on proposed amendments to the state constitution. Of course, ballots are secret and no voter is identified.

The page will also feature a link providing totals in statewide contests and the national results in the presidential election. Vote totals on the latter will run late, because voters on the West Coast have until 11 p.m. EST to cast ballots.

The city results will also be archived, said Craig Fifer, city webmaster. In the future, that will enable local political junkies to forecast voting trends. Provided, of course, that they have a computer and access to the Internet.

"The election results and other voting information is yet another example of the power of the Internet," Fifer said. "We are increasingly able to provide fast, accurate access to information about city issues and services to citizens of Roanoke and Web users around the world."

Local election results are unofficial until verified by the Roanoke City Electoral Board. Official results will be available Nov. 6.

CityWeb can be found at http://www.ci.roanoke.va.usn

Looking for info?

If you're looking for last-minute information on the candidates, check out Project Vote Smart.

A nonpartisan, nonprofit outfit based in Oregon, Project Vote Smart has attempted to assemble a detailed set of positions for each candidate in the country, along with campaign finance data and evaluations by more than 80 special interest groups from across the political spectrum.

That information is now available two ways. Voters with Internet access can visit the Vote Smart site on the World Wide Web at: http://www.vote-smart.org. Others may call toll-free at (800)622-SMART. Volunteers will be standing by to help track down positions on specific issues or handle other questions.

Unfortunately for voters, Virginia candidates haven't always cooperated with the group, which counts former Presidents Carter and Ford as honorary co-founders. Among those who haven't are Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, and two 5th District candidates, Republican hopeful George Landrith and Virginia Independent/Reform Party nominee Tex Wood.

Nevertheless, Vote Smart spokeswoman Adelaide Elm says the group still has "an enormous amount" of information available on the candidates.

- Dwayne Yancey

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