Inside PBS Blog

Like many Americans, filmmaker Katy Chevigny watched the Florida debacle during the 2000 election and wondered how it would change voting four years later.

"We knew it was going to be a lot of turnout in 2004, that there was a lot of passion about it. So we decided, let's look at it," Katy says.

The result: "Election Day," a 90-minute "P.O.V." documentary that airs tomorrow night and includes a cool interactive feature that allows you to help shape coverage of this year's presidential campaign.

The film combines 11 stories â€" all shot simultaneously on election day, Nov. 2, 2004, when John Kerry narrowly lost to President Bush.

The vérité-style doc offers a series of Election Day snapshots: an ex-con casting his first ballot in New York, a Republican activist fighting voter intimidation in Chicago, poor blacks enduring long line to vote in St. Louis, frustrated poll workers in Ohio.

"The thing about having 11 stories is that different things resonate with different people," Katy says. "That's one thing I learned: It was really clear to me how incredibly varied the voting experience is."

Katy doesn't know how the presence of her crews may have affected the subjects she filmed.

"I'm not one of those documentarians who says the camera doesn't change things. We were another set of eyes on a process that already had lot of people watching. Our take is the more people watching, the more the process will be just."

If you're interested in making things more "just," check out the online outreach surrounding "Election Day."

PBS Engage and "P.O.V." have joined forces with NewsTrust.net — a non-profit social news network — giving you an opportunity to review and evaluate stories about this year's election. The collective wisdom of people who participate will help identify the most useful, high quality press coverage of the election.

The ultimate goal: to help make you and your fellow citizens more informed about the voting process, learn more about the issues and become more engaged with the democratic process.

So join the hunt — and be sure to share your thoughts about "P.O.V.," election coverage and other topics in the comments section below.