SEIU's Guess Who's Knocking? Campaign to Elect Barack Obama Surprises Voters, Working Families with Celebrity Visits at Homes and College Campuses

*Specific Celebrity Schedules Are Available*

WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, more than a dozen celebrities - including Jason Ritter who plays Jeb Bush in W," Malcolm Jamal Warner who played "Theo" on the "Cosby Show," lead singer Debbie Harry from Blondie and Martin Starr from "Knocked Up"- have volunteered to participate in GOTV efforts to help give voice to working families' concerns with the Service Employee International Union (SEIU), the nation's fastest growing union in the country. This news comes as more than 3,000 SEIU members, local and International staff are already working full time in swing states to elect Barack Obama and a pro-working family Congress this November 4.

Celebrity volunteers dedicated to making a difference this election year will spend an entire day with an SEIU canvassing team in neighborhoods with high numbers of registered swing or undecided voters. For the "Guess Who's Knocking?" GOVT effort, SEIU expects to complete at least 50,000 "door knocks" before this critical election.

"My feet are killing me, but it was worth it," says Latisha Price, an SEIU member from Local 1199 in Ohio. "We have three weeks left to make a difference in this election, and when I knocked doors with Jason Ritter you wouldn't believe how eager people were to hear what we had to say! It was very encouraging to me personally to see Jason might be in movies, but they could also relate to what a healthcare worker like me needs Barack Obama to do for this country."

At the start of each day, the celebrity volunteers get briefed on issues such as affordable, quality healthcare for everyone; wages that can support families; freedom to join unions without intimidation; and retirement security from SEIU members and staff.

Canvassing efforts will continue with one hundred thousand more SEIU members and staff volunteering weekends and evenings. By the beginning of this week, SEIU has already:

* knocked on 1,211,075 doors.
* made 6,874,991 phone calls.
* registered 80,439 new voters.
* sent more than 5.7 million pieces of mail about the presidential election to targeted households.
Celebrity volunteers such as Slug with Atmosphere, hip-hop artist Mos Def, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and the band Pharcyde are also joining in the program to turn out the vote for Barack Obama by appearing in web-based videos that remind young voters what is at stake.

WHO: ER's Laura Innes (Dr. Weaver) and Gloria Reuben (Jeanie Boulet)
Jason Ritter, "W"
Malcolm Jamal Warner, "Theo" from the Cosby Show
Lead singer Debbie Harry from Blondie
Martin Starr from Knocked Up
Private Practice cast members
Indie film actor Eric Edelstein
Dan Lauria of The Wonder Years
Wendy Malick from NBC's Just Shoot Me
Slug with Atmosphere
Hip-hop artist Mos Def
The Pharcyde
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine

* Others to be announced

WHAT: Other activity highlights include recording automated campaign calls, visiting student unions on college campuses, and
"DORM-knocking." Volunteers will typically canvass two to three times a week for at least one week.

WHEN: Final weeks leading up to the election

WHERE: VA, OH, PA, FL, NM, and CO.


UPCOMING CANVASSING
Saturday, October 18th:
Malcolm Jamal Warner in Philadelphia;
Martin Starr and Eric Edelstein from Athens and Columbus, OH to Pittsburgh, PA

Tuesday, October 21st:
Laura Innes and Gloria Reuben in Cincinnati and Toledo, OH

FOR SPECIFIC CELEBRITY SCHEDULES, PLEASE CONTACT Kawana Lloyd, 202-730-7087.

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