Pennsylvania
From LYVEF: Victory for Voter Education
Flashback: 2006. the Pittsburgh League of Young Voters Education Fund and the ACLU of Pennsylvania want to put ads on
buses, encouraging the formerly incarcerated to vote. Seems like a
great program, right? The Port Authority of Allegheny County didn't
think so, denying LYVEF and the ACLU-PA from telling
voters their civil rights, establishing that they did not allow ads
that were "noncommercial". So we took them to court.
2009 Primary Voter Guide Available!
In Pennsylvania, we've got local elections and judicial elections this year, and the primaries are important -- it decides the quality of candidates you have in the fall! Check out our interviews with candidates in the Pittsburgh area for Mayor, City Council, School Board, and Court of Common Pleas -- and also the statewide races for Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Court!
Voter Guide Release Party!
There's so many local races and judicial seats up for election in PA this year, what's a voter to do? The answer: come to our Voter Guide Release Party! $5 donation gets you free food, drink 21+, and a peek at the voter guide to the contested races in Pittsburgh as well as for the statewide-judicial races. Town Tavern, 2009 Carson Street, Saturday April 4th 9pm-midnight
Early Voting in PA?
So Pennsylvania might finally join the 31 other states in having the option to cast an early ballot for elections. Early voting legislation
recently introduced by Rep. DePasquale in the state House and parallel
legislation in the state Senate by Sen. Leach seeks to times for people to cast their ballot on the weekends
and some weekdays starting two weeks before an election. This would help enfranchise those who may be unable to vote on a Tuesday due to commitments like work and would also increase the amount of time available to remind voters to get to the polls.
Counting "Phantom" Ballots
The Pittsburgh City Paper’s Marty Levine reported this week on our
work to catalog and explain "Phantom Ballots" that have been appearing at
some Allegheny County polling locations.
Help us count ballots on Friday, Feb 13th at the county building downtown! Email mac@theleague.com
The Knowledge for Change
The PA League of Young Voters Education Fund is back with its series of grassroots
organizer trainings that are free and open to the public. If you've
always wanted to do more for your community's political situation,
there are three dates coming up this spring that will give you the
skills and insight you need to be a leader for change. Click here for more info & to reserve a spot -- space is limited to 24 attendees per training
Saturday, Mar 28th - PEOPLE
Saturday, Apr 25th - ACTION
Pennsylvania Worst for Black Homicide
Damn -- the unpublished FBI Supplementary Homicide Report was released by the Violence Policy Center, and PA doesn't look so good. In 2006, There were 490
black homicide victims, resulting in a homicide rate of 36.86 per 100,000, followed by Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, and Nevada (surprised?). Of all homicides involving guns, 90% of the deaths were by handguns. Clearly current legislation and community initiatives are not enough! We need to put our heads together on this-- We would love to hear your comments.
Be there when our country elects a new president
On a historic day like this one, don't you want to be with your friends and countrymen? Election Results Party! Doors open at 8pm, no cover, 21+ to drink, 18+ to vote! Hosted by Ezra and Chassity "yah lioness", and Open mike with Hambone Jenkins. @ The Shadow Lounge, 5927 Baum Blvd, www.shadowlounge.net
We have a Poster Contest Winner!
Janel Ganaway, age 12, submitted the winning design for the PA League of Young Voters "Unlock the Vote" poster contest. One thousand copies have been printed and distributed throughout the city in selected neighborhoods. The poster contest was part of the PA League's ongoing Unlock the Vote program, which encourages inmate
and ex-offender communities to know their rights, get registered, and vote.
Everything you need to know to vote in PA
We've answered a lot of commonly-asked questions about voter registration, voting eligibility, and what to do on election day.
County Jail: Registered!
We had great success registering new voters at the Allegheny County Jail, with help from many other organizations and volunteers. Read how it's done in the Post-Gazette article!
You voted them in, now hold them accountable
Project Vote Smart is a great website that collects data on elected officials all across the country at both federal and state levels and puts it in an easy-to-search format. Check voting records, interest group ratings, issue positions, and campaign finances all at the Project Vote Smart website -- A "Voter's Self-Defense System"
