Hi John,
Welcome to the latest New Pennsylvania Project newsletter! In this edition, you'll find critical election news, upcoming events, and exciting career opportunities. We’re here to keep you informed about our progress to eliminate voting barriers. We will continue to provide key election updates, and highlight the issues that shape Pennsylvania's future.
As we gear up for the 2024 general election, we invite you to join us in our mission to mobilize voters to the polls in every election, and to make change in our communities. #WhenWeVoteWeWin |
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More than two million Pennsylvanians are eligible to vote, but are not registered or are at severe risk of being dropped off the voting rolls due to inactivity.
The last day you can register to vote is on Monday, October 21st, 2024.
The voter registration gap is much higher among Black, Indigenous, and other people of color and the youth in Pennsylvania. Voter registration wasn't meant to be inclusive of all people. It was created to restrict voting access. In the case of the youth, only one in four eligible high school students are registered to vote. We are constantly working on improving access and removing barriers to the ballot.
With less than two months left to register Pennsylvanians to vote, we are working to continue to register as many voters as possible. We aim to expand democracy by ensuring Pennsylvania’s electorate reflects the Commonwealth’s demographically changing population. Every person in PA has the freedom to make their voices heard; we’re working to ensure that’s the reality.
Please check your registration status and speak to those you love about their status. |
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Meet Ms. Maria. She is 94 years old. Thanks to the efforts of the New Pennsylvania Project, she will be voting for the first time in her life this year!
The generations before us secured our right to vote - let's continue that work, no matter our age. We need to reach out and help our communities be heard this election season! |
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| August 11, 2024
New Pennsylvania Project CEO, Kadida Kenner, appeared on WRNB 100.3 FM with host State Senator Vincent Hughes to talk about all things voting rights and the 2024 election. |
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Above: Gabriela Huerta (right), director of communications at New Pennsylvania Project, registering a voter |
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August 13, 2024
Esperanza hosted the “Your Vote is Your Voice!” event, in collaboration with Univision 65 and Impacto.
The New Pennsylvania Project was there to register attendants.
Our work was mentioned in both print and online media (English and Spanish), as well as in a live interview on Univision’s newscast in Spanish.
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August 13, 2024
New Pennsylvania Project Opens New Headquarters in the City of Chester
“By establishing its headquarters in Chester, the New Pennsylvania Project is taking a significant step toward ensuring that every eligible Pennsylvanian has a voice in the democratic process. This move not only benefits the local community, but also contributes to the broader goal of achieving a more inclusive and representative democracy.” - MyChesCo
Read more |
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Pictured below, New Pennsylvania Project staff celebrating with staff from our affiliated organization, New PA Project Education Fund |
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| Philly Labor Voter Registration Day of Action
Saturday, August 24, 2024, 9:00 AM Max Myers Rec Center
1601 Hellerman St, Philadelphia, PA 19149
Join us for a non-partisan event with union members and community members about registering to vote and getting ready to participate in this year's election. |
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| New Pennsylvania Project & Climate Power Press Conference
Thursday, August 29th, 2:00PM
Bell Tower at Temple University
Philadelphia, PA 19122
On Thursday, August 29th, at 2 pm, New Pennsylvania Project and Climate Power will host a press conference with elected officials at the Bell Tower of Temple University’s campus to talk about how Pennsylvania is facing increasingly severe weather due to climate change and what elected officials can and should be doing to protect our future. Communities of color disproportionately bear the weight of extreme weather. |
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| Opening the Prison Cage: Unerasing Women Behind Bars
Thursday, September 19th, 2024
5:30PM-8:30PM
Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
The evening will begin with a screening of the film "Kemba," which tells the harrowing yet inspiring story of Kemba Smith's journey from a college student to a federal prisoner, and her eventual pardon.
The screening will be followed by a talk-back with Kemba Smith and Kadida Kenner. |
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Philly Team Continues to Take on Broad St. |
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We're loving how many people our Philly team is registering to vote!
Go, Philly! |
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We had a block party on August 13, 2024 to celebrate the grand opening of our new headquarters in the city of Chester! It was a lovely evening filled with food, games, friendly neighbors, and great conversations.
We even managed to register the community to vote during the event!
Below is our staff from our recent retreat!
The two day retreat was filled with fun, wellness, and learning! As a state-wide organization, we're really grateful for these opportunities to connect and learn from each other.
#WhenWeVoteWeWin |
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Pennsylvania Judge Rules Butler County Voters Cannot Cure ‘Naked’ Mail-in Ballots
“Pennsylvania is among a few states that require individuals who vote by mail to place their ballots in an inner secrecy envelope before then putting them in an outer envelope. The issue of naked ballots became particularly contentious in the Keystone State ahead of the 2020 election, which spurred litigation that culminated in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court holding that naked ballots are “invalid.””
Commentary: Voting rights are dying by a thousand cuts
“If you want to understand what’s happened to voting rights in the U.S. over the past decade, just take a look at the recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit…The holding is legally wrong, yet the Supreme Court could conceivably uphold it, because the decision reflects a long-term conservative strategy: undermining voting rights law one step at a time in relatively low-profile cases rather than through sweeping decisions that draw a public outcry.”
Pennsylvania man accused of voting in 2 states faces federal charges
“A man faces federal charges that he voted in both Florida and in Pennsylvania for the 2020 presidential election, and twice in Pennsylvania during the November 2022 election.”
In contempt over jail conditions, Philly must pay $25 million
“A federal judge has ordered Philadelphia to set aside $25 million to ramp up recruitment and retention efforts for the city's Department of Prisons, just over a month after the court found the city in contempt of a settlement in a lawsuit over prison conditions.” |
Should we ditch the Electoral College? Maryland’s Raskin tells Pa. Democrats it’s time
“Both Bush in 2000 and former President Donald Trump in 2016 lost the popular vote, but they won the Electoral College and the presidency… ”We’re going to have to deal with the rules the way they’re structured today, and that means Pennsylvania and Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada are just right at the center of the ballot,” he said.”
Proposed Allegheny County Council bill would have Homeland Security verify eligibility of county voters
“Allegheny County Council will soon consider a bill that would require additional steps to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered to vote. The proposed ordinance directs county elections officials to share voter rolls with the Department of Homeland Security prior to the November election, so the department can verify the citizenship of local voters. In the future, the Elections Division would be mandated to confirm every newly registered voter’s citizenship status with DHS.”
The Vibe Has Shifted Downballot Too
“The state legislative targets for Democrats closely mirrors that of the presidential race. In North Carolina, the party is hoping to end the Republican supermajorities in both chambers. In Michigan, it’s aiming to hold onto the Democratic trifecta it regained after a special election this spring. The party is looking to make inroads in Pennsylvania (where it narrowly controls the house but not the senate) and take back both chambers in New Hampshire—where it lost out on a majority in the state house by just 11 votes in 2022. Not 11 seats—11 votes.”
One of the largest historically Black sororities emphasized the importance of voting
“A public meeting, billed as a discussion on economic impact, became more like a sermon on the sorority’s VOTE Initiative — Visualize, Organize, Trailblaze, and Empower — and the urgent need to help increase turnout at the polls in November.”
Trump Vs. Harris 2024 Polls: Harris Leads By 3 Points Halfway Through DNC
“Polls show Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, a reversal from Trump’s lead over President Joe Biden—as Harris reaches the Democratic National Convention with an edge of three points or more, according to several new surveys.” Struggle for PA House Underway With Door-To-Door Campaigns and Speculation On Effects of Trump, Harris.
“The struggle for control of the closely divided Pennsylvania House of Representatives is playing out on thousands of doorsteps across the state, and observers say the final outcome in November will be affected by the presence of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on the election ballot.”
‘The Black Vote Is Not for Sale’: Steve Harvey Fires Off Explosive Response Amid Speculation He Pocketed $10K to Endorse Kamala Harris
“On his radio show, he emphasized that his support for Harris was not driven by financial incentives but by his personal belief in her ability to lead…Harvey also addressed the importance of the Black vote in the upcoming election, noting its pivotal role in determining the outcome. He referred to the impact of Black voter turnout in key states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin, during the last presidential election as evidence of its importance.“The Black vote is not for sale,” Harvey emphasized. “It is a very important bloc of votes that can control the outcome of this election.””
Four States Open the Door to Automatic Voter Registration for Native Americans
“Native Americans’ low participation in elections stems from a long history of exclusion. Today, it is estimated that roughly one in four eligible Native Americans are not registered to vote… Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Michigan have all passed laws that allow Tribal AVR, with ultimate discretion in the hands of individual Tribal Nations over whether to participate.”
Can Taylor Swift Sue Donald Trump? What Legal Analysts Say
“Former President Donald Trump shared a series of AI generated images on Truth Social Sunday night suggesting that superstar Taylor Swift and a group of her followers called "Swifties for Trump" had endorsed him in the 2024 presidential election. The posts were met with outrage on social media, both by Trump's critics and fans of the megastar singer-songwriter. Some legal analysts believe Swift has grounds to sue the Republican nominee over the AI-manipulated "false endorsement… Last month, a bi-partisan NO FAKES Act was introduced in the Senate that aims to protect individuals' voices and likenesses from AI-generated replicas.”
RFK Jr. shows up too late to testify in court against Democrats’ ballot challenge in Pennsylvania
“Should Kennedy appear on Pennsylvania’s ballot, he could siphon critical support from Republican nominee Donald Trump or Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in a state where a margin of tens of thousands of votes delivered victory to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2016. Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes — tied with Illinois for fifth most — is of such importance that Harris visited the state Sunday and Trump visited both Saturday and Monday.”
Democrats get a third-party hopeful knocked off Pennsylvania ballot, as Cornel West tries to get on
“A Commonwealth Court judge agreed with two Democratic Party-aligned challenges on Tuesday, ruling that the paperwork filed by the Party for Socialism and Liberation was fatally flawed and ordering the party’s presidential candidate, Claudia De la Cruz, off Pennsylvania’s Nov. 5 ballot.‘ |
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| We're Hiring!
Join the New Pennsylvania Project (NPP) and be a part of our mission to empower impacted, Black and other communities of color across PA. Help us support every eligible voter to feel compelled to vote.
Your work will make a direct impact on civil rights, fair education funding, economic justice, and environmental stewardship. Reach us at [email protected] |
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General Election: November 5, 2024 Last day to register to vote: October 21, 2024
Last day to request mail-in ballot: October 29, 2024 Important Links:
PA Department of State Website
Return Your Ballot
Track Your Ballot
Find Your Polling Place Voter Hotlines:
Voter Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE DOS PA Voter Hotline: 1-877-VOTESPA
Spanish/English Hotline: 1-866-VE-Y-VOTA Asian Languages Hotline: 1-888-API-VOTE
Arabic/English Hotline: 1-844-YALLA-US |
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