BRIDGEPORT CONN. May 7 2002 -– Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz joined World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle Honorary Chairman of Smackdown Your Vote! and World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar Al Snow to promote voter registration at a rally at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport Conn.

The rally was part of activities around Connecticut’s Smackdown Your Vote! High School Voter Registration Day. The day is part of a national Smackdown Your Vote! initiative to encourage high school students to register to vote as part of National High School Voter Registration Month. Connecticut is one of 13 states who have designated Smackdown Your Vote! days in their states.

The message delivered by Bysiewicz Angle and Snow was simple: young people should let their voices be heard by registering and smacking down their votes in November.

"The distrust and cynicism toward politics and government among young people represents a trend that must be challenged and Smackdown Your Vote! is doing just that " said Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz. "With only 20 percent of 20-year-olds voting in elections there is real cause for concern about the future of our democracy and that is why we are glad to be partnering once again with Smackdown Your Vote!."

The speakers urged young people in Connecticut and around the country to register to vote and participate in the 2002 elections as a way to show the strength of America’s democracy.

"We need to encourage our young people to participate in the political process through voting for our democracy to remain strong " said Angle. "Smackdown Your Vote! is all about bringing this message to the places where young people are – so that it is relevant to them. That’s what we are trying to accomplish through this effort."

"Now is a perfect time for our young people to send the message to the world that democracy is stronger than ever in the U.S.A. and that our way of life will not be deterred by those who seek to undermine it " added Snow.

The first phase of the Smackdown Your Vote! 2002 campaign is a combination of voter registration outreach scholarship incentives and opportunities for involvement focused on reaching students in 12 000 high schools in all 50 states as part of "National High School Voter Registration Month" in May.

High school students are encouraged to sign up to become Smackdown Your Vote! Ambassadors and organize voter registration events at their high schools. Smackdown Your Vote! is providing 50 college scholarships to those students who plan and implement the best voter registration initiatives in their respective high schools. The National Foundation for Women Legislators a partner in Smackdown Your Vote! through World Wrestling Entertainment is funding the scholarships.

High school seniors and juniors are still needed to help organize programs at high schools and can register to become Smackdown Your Vote ambassadors at www.smackdownyourvote.com. The deadline for signing on as an Ambassador is May 12 2002.

Later in the year Smackdown Your Vote! will focus on rallies at live events and college campuses.

Smackdown Your Vote! founded in July 2000 is a partnership of nonpartisan organizations created to encourage young people to register and then vote. The members of Smackdown Your Vote! are the National Foundation for Women Legislators National Association of Secretaries of State Project Vote Smart Youth Vote Coalition Close Up Foundation/ First Vote Youth-e-Vote California Vote America and World Wrestling Entertainment. Smackdown Your Vote! has registered more than 200 000 voters since its inception holding events in more than 28 states and the District of Columbia.

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Media contact:

Larry Perosino
Press Secretary
Office of the Secretary of State
Phone: 860-509-6259

Gary Davis
World Wrestling Entertainment
203-353-5066

Kate Cox
World Wrestling Entertainment
Phone: 203-352-8630