Hi John ,
Welcome to the latest New Pennsylvania Project newsletter!

As Tom Nichols writes in his op-ed for The Atlantic Daily, Democracy Is Not Over, ([link removed] who care about democracy have every right to feel appalled and frightened. But then they have work to do."

We need to stay inspired. This year our work is more important than ever. In our hands we have the power to help shape our country and preserve democracy.

Local, municipal and judicial elections are going to be critical as they are the last line of defense.
Let's affect change on the ground by making sure our courts and local elected officials remain impartial.

The work we do matters!
#CourtsMatter #WhenWeVoteWeWin Why Courts Matter: 301
Thursday February 27th
6:30-8:00PM
Online via Zoom


How do the courts affect our rights and freedoms? Why should we be involved in judicial elections?

We will be hosting our third virtual town hall alongside Why Courts Matter - Pennsylvania, focusingon the importance of our federal courts and the role elected officials play in nominating and confirming judges.RSVP here
 
#BlackHistoryForAll ([link removed][0]=AZXZqlFQIjd2aApi44fvMnhZx8DEivcWSOCGJ7mCljPl1sm_RMu3VG83BJO5motDzKIniXPjOvgTF-IKS0ZdNeoVL0K_9UpjHmuiPOal1_rx8fSYzLq6Tw3BoIBdpdIDJ1ZjM9ASAdIlSu828tYtpSbqWHAvrWSKEZ_ypS7jKs5Czg&__tn__=*NK-R&blm_aid=78408)


We talk a lot about #WhyCourtsMatter ([link removed][0]=AZXZqlFQIjd2aApi44fvMnhZx8DEivcWSOCGJ7mCljPl1sm_RMu3VG83BJO5motDzKIniXPjOvgTF-IKS0ZdNeoVL0K_9UpjHmuiPOal1_rx8fSYzLq6Tw3BoIBdpdIDJ1ZjM9ASAdIlSu828tYtpSbqWHAvrWSKEZ_ypS7jKs5Czg&__tn__=*NK-R&blm_aid=78408) around here, and how they affect your rights and freedoms.

During this black history month, we want to highlight one of the most important cases for our cause: Brown v. Board of Education.

The landmark 1954 Supreme Court Case declared state-sponsored segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal rights to all citizens.

The case was argued and won by Thurgood Marshall, who in October of 1967 became the first African American Supreme Court Justice.

This decision was a major victory for human rights, the Civil Rights Movement and also helped pave the way for desegregation in schools and other public places.

#BlackHistoryMonth365 ([link removed][0]=AZXZqlFQIjd2aApi44fvMnhZx8DEivcWSOCGJ7mCljPl1sm_RMu3VG83BJO5motDzKIniXPjOvgTF-IKS0ZdNeoVL0K_9UpjHmuiPOal1_rx8fSYzLq6Tw3BoIBdpdIDJ1ZjM9ASAdIlSu828tYtpSbqWHAvrWSKEZ_ypS7jKs5Czg&__tn__=*NK-R&blm_aid=78408)#ThurgoodMarshall ([link removed][0]=AZXZqlFQIjd2aApi44fvMnhZx8DEivcWSOCGJ7mCljPl1sm_RMu3VG83BJO5motDzKIniXPjOvgTF-IKS0ZdNeoVL0K_9UpjHmuiPOal1_rx8fSYzLq6Tw3BoIBdpdIDJ1ZjM9ASAdIlSu828tYtpSbqWHAvrWSKEZ_ypS7jKs5Czg&__tn__=*NK-R&blm_aid=78408)SHARE ON INSTAGRAM 
RNC Asks SCOTUS To Take Up Appeal To Restrict Provisional Voting in Pennsylvania ([link removed]
"RNC asks SCOTUS to restrict provisional voting in Pennsylvania Using the radical independent state legislature theory, the Republican National Committee asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that allows voters to cast provisional ballots if their mail-in ballots were rejected."

Appellate Court Revives New York Voting Rights Act ([link removed]
"An appellate court in New York reversed ([link removed] a lower court overturning the state’s John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act (NYVRA) — a law that grants voters additional protections not covered by federal law.The four-judge panel ruled unanimously that Newburgh, New York, failed to show how remedying vote dilution in accordance with the NYVRA would violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause."

Government Blocks DOGE Access to Department of Labor Data Until Friday Hearing ([link removed]
"The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is temporarily blocked ([link removed] from accessing sensitive Department of Labor (DOL) data and access to its systems — thanks to an agreement with the federal government until a judge hears the case Friday."
 
Raffensperger Asks Federal Government for Help Suppressing Voters
"Shortly after the new U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was sworn in Wednesday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) asked her to drop the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit challenging the state’s 2021 voter suppression law, S.B. 202. Raffensperger also asked newly minted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for greater access to immigration data to verify voter registrations a day earlier."

Pennsylvania’s upgrade of glitchy voter registration system falls further behind schedule ([link removed]
"The state has been trying since 2019 to upgrade the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, or SURE, a database of the state’s voters that was built in the early 2000s and still undergirds many of the functions of running elections. Local election officials complain that the system is outdated, has a tendency to crash, and requires complex workarounds for some processes."

Pennsylvania’s varied ‘curing’ policies affect voters’ chances of getting their ballot counted ([link removed]
"Counties that allow mail voters to fix errors that could otherwise get their ballots disqualified rejected fewer ballots during the 2024 general election, a Votebeat and Spotlight PA analysis has found."
 

Staff members of the affiliated organization, New PA Project Education Fund (NPPEF), continue to provide voters with civic education.
Pennsylvanians have a lot of questions regarding the many confusing executive orders they're seeing on the news.

One of the ways NPPEF helps reduce this confusion is by uplifting Michael Coard's "Five things you didn't know but should know about executive orders." ([link removed]
Capital rally in HarrisburgDauphin County

Strawberry Square in HarrisburgAllegheny County

Re-entry support event in Homewood.Lancaster County

Crispus Attucks 
AG Pam Bondi orders DOJ to pause all funding for sanctuary cities ([link removed]

"Newly inaugurated Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the defunding of jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities Wednesday — potentially cutting off a significant money source for New York... Other sanctuary states include California and Connecticut — while major cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, also have such policies."

Trump’s mass deportations order comes with questions and concerns in Delaware County ([link removed]

"While deportations are not new under U.S. presidents from either major party — Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both had high numbers of returns and removals during their terms — Trump has already made significant changes to the way in which they can be carried out after a series of executive orders. These include rescinding “protected areas” like schools and hospitals from enforcement actions."

Trump’s War on Medicaid Will Institutionalize Millions of People ([link removed]

"Today, roughly 4.5 million people use Medicaid-funded HCBS as an alternative to institutionalization; the waivers help pay for home healthcare workers, durable medical equipment, career coaching, case management and other services. No one claims that the program is perfect—but most criticism has come on the basis of shortfalls, not overspending. More than half a million disabled people remain on waitlists for HCBS." We need to hear from you

All of us know democracy works best when it works for everyone.

That is why we want to hear about the issues you care about the most in 2025.

If you haven't done so yet, please, take a couple minutes to let us know how we can continue to empower our communities to get out and vote in ALL elections!Answer here
  
Last day to register to vote for the Primary Election: Monday, May 5, 2025
Primary Election: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Last day to register to vote for the General Election: Monday, October 20, 2025
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
General Election: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 


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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