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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kay Torrance
404-420-5129 ATLANTA…The Carter Center will host 35 Chinese electoral officials Nov. 2 around Atlanta and Chattanooga to observe U.S. Election Day.

The delegation will arrive in Atlanta Oct. 30, and before Election Day, they will hear from Georgia election and elected officials on campaigning, encouraging the electorate to vote, and on the election process.

On Election Day, officials of China's Ministry of Civil Affairs and Dr. Yawei Liu, of the Carter Center's China Village Election Project, will observe voting at sites in Douglas County. They will observe the start of voting at the Chestnut Log Middle School, 3789 Chapel Hill Rd. in Douglasville from 7:30 - 8:15 a.m. and at the Arbon Station Elementary School, 9999 Parkway South in Douglasville from 8:45 - 9:15 a.m.

Officials from China's National Peoples Congress will observe voting in Franklin County at the Courthouse Polling Station, No. 1 Jefferson St. at City Square in Winchester from 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. and at Cowan Elementary School at 501 Cumberland St. in Cowan from 8:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

"The Chinese observers will gain valuable knowledge to improve the quality of their village, township, and county elections," Dr. Liu said. "

Since 1998, The Carter Center has observed China village election procedures; provided assistance in gathering election data, educating voters, and training officials; and hosted Chinese officials to observe U.S. elections. The Chinese government began direct village elections in 1988 to help maintain social and political order in the context of rapid economic reforms. Today, village elections occur in some 700,000 villages across China, reaching 75 percent of the nation's 1.3 billion people.

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The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, the Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 65 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers to increase crop production. Please visit www.cartercenter.org to learn more about The Carter Center.