Pennsylvania

PA VOICE Summary

Program Overview: The State Voices' initiative, Pennsylvania VOICE, is a state-based collaborative formed in 2005 to create and maintain better coordination, information and communication among nonprofit civic participation organizations. The collaborative’s nonpartisan mission is to engage under-represented communities and socially responsible voters in the democratic process, develop new leadership from within these constituencies and to establish collective action around a shared issue-based agenda.

Program Outcome: Our work focuses on three core outcomes:

• Increasing the share of voters identified as historically under-represented, infrequent or socially responsible constituencies

• Identifying core public policy issues of measurable concern among targeted constituencies through polling and community-driven policy input

• Identification, recruitment and training of new leaders, volunteers and candidates from traditionally under-participating constituencies

WOW, WHAT AN ELECTION --- THE HISTORIC 2008 PA GENERAL ELECTION IS ... HISTORY

The 2008 Pennsylvania Primary produced record turnout numbers in the Commonwealth - including large numbers of new and infrequent voters, the prime Pennsylvania Voice target demographic. PA Voice and our partners worked in an unprecedented, coordinanted effort to pump up voter participation and protect the vote on November 4. Take a look at the Election results and stay tuned for our initial reporting on 2008 work. Whether you're a 501c3 organization looking to get involved with civic participation, or an individual looking to do your part and volunteer to increase the vote, plan to join Pennsylvania Voice partners For more information, or for details on how to get involved, e-mail us at PA VOICE

REAL-TIME BLOGGING FROM ELECTION PROTECTION HQ

PA VOICE took a lead role in coordinating statewide election administration, election protection and anti-voter suppression work across the state. To take a look at the Election Day trends, issues and problems across the state, pull up our Everybody VOTE website on Election Day for the real deal on what went down.

Standing in front of assignment charts, these volunteers worked to get other election protection volunteers scheduled at the polls in Pittsburgh, PA on Election Day.

Collaborative monthly meetings take place on the first Thursday of the month, every month, at 9:00am in Pittsburgh and monthly in Philadelphia. If you're a nonprofit interested in building your own voter engagement initiative and networking with other organizations with resources, experience and their own active programs, join us at our next meetings:

• Thursday, TBD in January 2009 @ 9am in Pittsburgh at The Union Project, 801 N. Negley Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
• Friday, TBD in January 2009 @ 2:30pm at the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO.

For more information, or for details on how to join our meeting by phone, e-mail us at PA VOICE

ELECTION PROTECTION TRAININGS

PA VOICE partners' work in maintaining the integrity of the vote in Pennsylvania was unprecedented in its scope and essential to securing our right to vote and to trust the outcomes of the Nov. 4 election. We offering trainings across the state and mobilized a multi-organziation collaborative that included over 1,500 volunteers.Look for our reporting on our work in December and be a part of our continued efforts in election administration and reform.

STATE-OF-THE-ART VOTER DATA FOR PA VOICE PARTNERS

The Pennsylvania Voice collaborative is excited to announce for a second year that state table partners will soon have access to some of the country's best available voter engagement technology and data. Thanks to grants from The Hull Family Foundation, the Civic Engagement Fund and the Tides Foundation, PA partners will have access to the Catalist warehouse, the VAN web interface, and data staff resources. To find out more on how your Pennsylvania 501c3 can take advantage of these resources for voter targeting, list enhancement and street list generation, e-mail us at PA VOICE.

EVERYBODY VOTE NONPROFIT VOTER ENGAGEMENT

The Everybody VOTE program expands this year in partnership with B-PEP and the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network and the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership in building voter engagement pilot programs with 15 partner organizations. If you'd like to learn more about how your Pittsburgh region nonprofit organization can better serve your mission and constituents through civic and voter participation, e-mail us at PA VOICE