`Just the Facts' for Voters Promised on Hot Line

VOTERS deluged with sound bites from politicians will find relief in a new toll-free citizen information hotline, say organizers.

The service is offered by Project Vote Smart, a nonpartisan organization that gives the issues and the facts about thousands of political candidates around the country. Callers can receive detailed candidate information as well as performance evaluations by over 70 conservative and liberal interest groups.

Based in Corvalis, Ore., the organization's new Boston office at Northeastern University will be the primary access point for its telephone hotline service. Project Vote Smart also has a branch office in Tuscon, Ariz.

Project Vote Smart started up in 1992 and includes among its founders Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, George McGovern, Michael Dukakis, and Barry Goldwater. The group also provides a free information service to journalists from its Oregon office. To reach the ``voter research hotline,'' dial 1-800-622-SMART.