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.

The election has started. Today and every day until Tuesday, November 5th, is Election Day.
We will continue to provide key election updates and highlight the issues that shape Pennsylvania's future. We’re here to keep you informed about our progress in helping eliminate barriers to the ballot box.

Now and in every election, we invite you to join us in our mission to mobilize voters to the polls, and to make change in our communities.
#WhenWeVoteWeWin 
Opening the Prison Cage: Unerasing Women Behind Bars
Thursday, September 19, 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 Smithand Kadida Kenner.REGISTER
Let the People Vote - Berks Town Hall
Saturday, September 21st, 2024
12:00-1:30pm
Southeast Reading Library 1426 Perkiomen Ave, Reading, PA 19602
Kadida Kenner will be the keynote speaker at an ACLU Town Hall focused on holding county commissioners accountable for passing pro-voter policies. The event will cover the importance of the upcoming elections, how the lack of these policies has historically harmed communities, and why elected officials must prioritize voting rights.
  ‘They can make the difference’: Volunteer initiative seeks to register more Puerto Rican, Latino voters in Philly

“According to Marcus Greene, Philadelphia regional organizing director at the New Pennsylvania Project ([link removed] a nonpartisan voting rights organization, more than 2 million Pennsylvania residents who are eligible to vote are not registered.



Greene, who canvassed with volunteers Saturday, said an in-person conversation, as opposed to other forms of voter outreach, “really gets people engaged.”



“It’s really a lack of understanding, a lack of education on what to do, what the process is,” he said. “How can I really effectively make my vote count by being educated on the people that are running, the issues that are going on in our community? So it’s really that educational piece that’s vital to get them out.”READ ARTICLE Activists, councilwoman urge Allentown voters to prioritize environmental justice
“Several Allentown activists joined a voting rights organization on Voter Registration Day to highlight environmental justice and the two major presidential candidates’ “different visions.”
New Pennsylvania Project led a short news conference with Allentown's Soldiers and Sailors Monument as its backdrop Tuesday, seven weeks from Election Day.

Dave Heayn-Menendez, the organization’s chief strategy and organizing officer, called for Lehigh Valley voters to prioritize the environment this fall.”READ ARTICLE Noticias Univision 65| 17 de septiembre de 2024 | EN VIVO
Gabriela Huerta, director of strategic communications

On Univision’s live 6pm newscast of September 17th, our director of strategic communications explained, in Spanish, that elected officials closer to you are the ones that influence what happens in your communities, so it is very important to show up on election day to vote on down ballot races.
The network celebrated National Voter Registration Day with a special broadcast urging the Latino community to register to vote and to check their registration status.WATCH HERE 
The 2024 general election has started in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanians in 2024 can vote in-person at a polling place, with a mail-in-ballot, or with an absentee ballot. When they can vote depends on one’s particular county.

“Early voting” is not technically possible in Pennsylvania, but once a county’s ballots are finalized and printed, a registered voter can apply for their mail-in ballot in person at their county election office, complete it, and then submit it all in one visit.

Montgomery County received its first ballot on September 17th, National Voting Registration Day.
Here you can confirm if your county has ballots available ([link removed] (as of the time of writing only one county did).

In our last newsletter, we celebrated an August 30th ruling by the Commonwealth Court that protected mail-in-ballots with minor dating errors, ensuring cast votes were counted in Pennsylvania.
An appeal ruling on Friday by the state Supreme Court overturned the lower court ruling by a 4-3 vote that stated the Commonwealth Court did not have the authority to rule on the case. To learn more see our Why Courts Matter section below.
The new ruling means voters completing mail-in or absentee ballots should be very mindful when doing so, making sure they, accurately and completely, fill out all the required information.
Tuesday, October 29 is the last day to request a mail-in-ballot, and a county election office must receive the ballot by 8 pm on Tuesday, November 5 for it to be counted.

However, mail-in-ballots can and should be cast as early as possible. This could allow enough time to ensure your vote is not thrown out due to inconsequential errors.REQUEST MAIL-IN BALLOT 
This lawsuit could strip voters’ voices across the state.If successful, those who make mistakes on their mail-in ballot, like not dating it correctly, forgetting to sign it, or not putting it in the outer envelope, could lose their opportunity to vote in the upcoming election. NPP ON THE GROUNDNational Voter Registration Day
National Voter Registration Day drive in Bethlehem, PA on September 17, 2024

Our teams on the ground are going strong as we continue the national momentum towards registering eligible voters!

There are still 2.1 million eligible voters in Pennsylvania who are either not yet registered to vote, or at risk of their status being dropped.

Our mission is to help change that. Diversifying the electorate

Good vibes and inspiration at Fairhill neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA on September 14, 2024 as speakers discuss a needed call-to-action for more Latin American votes.

The People for Puerto Rico organized this event with the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, the New Pennsylvania Project, and local community leaders.


Philadelphia has second largest Puerto Rican population in the country with 140,000 Puerto Rican residents. That's about 15% of the total population of the city, and 40% of the whole state's Puerto Rican population. College student voter education
Our initiatives for college student voter education continues!


The biggest obstacle for college student voters--who are generally the least experienced voters-- is a lack of understanding around the voting process. Our teams make sure to share knowledge and resources to help bridge the gap.

Pictured above: Our team on the ground at Cedar Crest College. RECENT EVENTSSeptember 17, 2024
National Voter Registration Day

On National Voter Registration Day, New Pennsylvania Project and Climate Power hosted a press conference in Allentown to highlight 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.

We encouraged Pennsylvanians to register to vote, show up on Tuesday, November 5th, and vote with the future of our families, communities, and planet in mind. 

RNC Lawsuit Could Disenfranchise Pennsylvania Voters Who Make Mistakes on Mail-in Ballots
“The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed ([link removed] a petition in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday arguing that voters who make mistakes on mail-in ballots shouldn’t be allowed to cure their ballots or vote using a provisional ballot on Election Day. Currently in Pennsylvania, individual counties have created procedures to notify voters if their mail-in ballot cannot be counted and provide them the opportunity to cure that ballot or instead cast a provisional ballot at a polling place on Election Day.”

Pennsylvania Supreme Court restores date requirement for mail ballots, voiding lower-court ruling

“Pennsylvanians who vote by mail must write a proper date on their ballot envelopes for their votes to be counted, under a decision Friday ([link removed] from the state Supreme Court that could affect thousands of voters this November.The decision voids an Aug. 30 Commonwealth Court ruling ([link removed] that enforcing the requirement on ballot dating violated voters’ rights under the state constitution."


Pennsylvania high court rules against two third-party candidates trying for presidential ballot
“Pennsylvania's Supreme Court on Friday sided with lower court decisions to block two third-party presidential candidates from the battleground state's ballot in November's election. The decisions hand a win apiece to each major party, as Democratic and Republican party loyalists work to fend off third-party candidates for fear of siphoning votes away from their parties' presidential nominees in a state critical to winning the White House.”

Pennsylvania voters can cast a provisional ballot if their mail ballot is rejected, court says

“A court decided Thursday that voters in the presidential battleground of Pennsylvania can cast provisional ballots in place of mail-in ballots that are rejected for a garden-variety mistake they made when they returned it.”  
Luzerne County drops use of drop boxes ahead of election
“Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo on Wednesday scuttled the use of ballot drop boxes ([link removed] during the upcoming November election because of staffing shortages. In a notice to county election officials, Crocamo cited security concerns and financial risk as reasons for not deploying drop boxes.”

Pennsylvania ballots are almost ready. Here's why they look different this year.

“Voters in the key battleground of Pennsylvania may notice their ballots look different this year, as the state prepares to deploy a new design in the general election for the first time this year that aims to reduce the number of rejected votes.”

Allegheny County Board of Elections approves addition of satellite voting centers
“The Allegheny County Board of Elections voted 2-1 Monday to add satellite voting centers. “You can do it really quickly. Just a few couple hundred yards away at Soldiers and Sailors. It’s amazing to see between classes or on the way to or from campus,” Pitt student Ben Wainwright told Channel 11.Wainwright spent his afternoon at the county courthouse, speaking on behalf of the Pitt students he’s discussed the voting process with.”

Montgomery County Seeks Highest Voter Turnout In Nation In 2024
“Montgomery County government has doubled the number of voter offices and increased the ballot drop off boxes ahead of the general election in November.It's part of a larger effort to bolster the county's voting related services and election security, and make the county a national leader in voter turnout.”

Harris now has narrow lead over Trump in PA
“Vice President Kamala Harris has a narrow lead over former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania’s presidential race, an edge fueled by a rebound in support among young voters and voters of color that is particularly potent in the Democratic stronghold of Philadelphia. A Philadelphia Inquirer/New York Times/Siena College poll taken shortly after the debate showed Harris with a nearly 4-point lead, within the survey’s margin of error.”

Pennsylvania Democrats approach 2024 election with slimmest voter registration advantage in decades
“Despite a bump following Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race, Democrats in Pennsylvania are entering the home stretch of the 2024 election with their weakest voter registration advantage compared with Republicans in recent decades. The party’s raw registration numbers began to rise after Biden dropped out in late July, and that trend is continuing. But simultaneously, the number of Republicans has increased even more quickly.”

Pa. election 2024: Your guide to the candidates for treasurer

“The state treasurer is one of three elected row officers in the commonwealth, and plays a crucial role in managing state dollars. They can serve a maximum of two four-year terms.State revenue is deposited into the Treasury, and the office uses the money to pay bills for things like contracts and workers. The treasurer also invests state savings, and sits on the boards of Pennsylvania’s two massive public sector pension funds.”

Two paths on immigration
“Nine years after Donald Trump’s rise in American politics, the stakes on immigration may seem clear enough. Trump wants a harsh crackdown on illegal immigration, with a border wall and mass deportations. Kamala Harris wants an approach that balances border security with human rights considerations.”

Josh Shapiro is more popular in PA than Kamala Harris, Donald Trump – and even Taylor Swift
“Pennsylvanians like Gov. Josh Shapiro more than both Harris and Trump. The first-term governor’s popularity has made the would-be VP pick an enduring asset to the Harris campaign.”

Revised medical marijuana labor protection bill advances in Pittsburgh City Council
“Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval to a bill that would strengthen legal protections for medical marijuana users in the city — but it added an amendment that carves out an exception for the construction industry. The bill, sponsored by Councilor Barb Warwick, would make medical marijuana users a protected class in the city. ” 
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Join the New Pennsylvania Project (NPP) and be a part of our mission to empower impacted, Black, Indigenous 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] 
General Election: Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Last day to register to vote: Monday, October 21, 2024
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Important Links:
PA Department of State Website ([link removed]
Return Your Ballot ([link removed]
Track Your Ballot ([link removed]
Find Your Polling Place ([link removed]

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
Our Contact Information
New Pennsylvania Project
P.O. Box 443
West Chester, PA 19381

4126996771
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