Washington, DC - With voter registration deadlines approaching in many states, SEIU members are pounding the pavement, working the phones, and pulling out all the stops to help register tens of thousands of new voters - and make sure they get out to vote on November 4^th for Barack Obama and a pro-working family Congress.

"In many states, this election could be decided by just thousands, even hundreds of votes," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger.  "SEIU members are making sure that everyone who can vote is registered, and everyone who is registered gets to the polls on Election Day.  We're leaving no stone unturned."

Over 1,000 SEIU members are working full time on the election, and over 100,000 nurses, janitors, child care providers, and other workers are volunteering after work and on weekends to win on Election Day.  Since August, these members have registered over 70,000 new voters, with more to come before registration deadlines close in the coming weeks.

"This has changed who I am," said Monique Riddick, a professional growth consultant and SEIU member who has been volunteering her time on the weekends to knock on doors in Virginia. 

Recently, Monique registered a 73 year-old woman and a 23 year old - neither of whom had ever voted before, but who were ready to vote for change in November.  Monique's own 18 year-old son, who had previously decided against voting, changed his mind when his mother told him of an 18 year-old man she met in Norfolk who had just enlisted in the Navy. He was proud to be serving his country and was thrilled to have the opportunity to vote for Obama before he heads overseas. After hearing this story, Monique's son registered to vote.

Beginning this week, Monique and her fellow SEIU members will get a new influx of support, as seventy-five percent of SEIU's International staff hits the ground in battleground state to help register voters, talk to fellow union members, recruit volunteers, and educate voters about what's at stake for working families in the upcoming election.