About
WomenVote PA

WomenVote PA is a network of community groups, agencies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals working together to improve the status of women in Pennsylvania. Through voter registration and education about critical issues facing women and their families, we are working together to increase women's political participation in our state. More about WomenVote PA.

Join our Time-Off for Democracy Campaign!

Employers, it's that time of the year again to join WomenVote PA's Time-Off for Democracy Campaign. Consider adopting policies in your workplace that will support employees in exercising their right to vote. See details.

Stop Voter Suppression Legislation Moving in Pennsylvania!

WomenVote PA and many other groups throughout Pennsylvania have worked over the years to make voting more accessible - to increase voter participation in all elections. However, since January, when the new Pennsylvania legislative session began, a number of bills have been introduced that would, in effect, suppress voter participation. One bill in particular appears to be moving toward a vote in the Pennsylvania House - HB934.

HB934 would require voters to present a photo ID before voting. This bill was introducted by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R) from Cranberry. Similar legislation was vetoed in the past by then Governor Rendell. As before, this legislation would disenfrancise citizens, particicularly the poor, the disabled, and students who may not have a government issued photo ID. Previously the cost would have been paid by the individual, but this time around Rep. Metcalfe has included a provision in HB934 for the state to provide a free photo ID to anybody who needs one. This will cost the state an estimated $11 million in the first year, and place a burdensome requirement on citizens to go to the Department of Transportation in order to get an ID to vote.

This legislation is unncessary - first time voters in Pennsylvania are already required to show identification before they vote! How can we justify spending $11 million when Governor Corbett is cutting funding for education and services that help the most needy. Please call your Pennsylvania Representative and tell them to vote against HB934.

• Groups in Harrisburg Protest Voter ID Bill (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Opponents Question the Value of PA Voter ID Plan (Newsworks)
• Groups Against Voter ID Bill Make Their Case (WITF)
• Groups Rally Against Voter ID Bill (ABC 27, WHTM)
• Editorial: Proposed voter ID rules are extreme (Harrisburgh Patriot-News)
• Voter ID Proposal for PA Panned (Lancaster Intelligencer Journal)
  

Interview with Malissa Gamble: "Voting must be important if they tried to take it away from us."

This is an interview with Malissa Gamble, Founder of The Time Is Now to Make a Change, a nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that was formed in 2007 by Ms. Gamble to help provide guidance and resources to formerly incarcerated women. Malissa is passionate about the importance of voting, and she frequently connects the act of voting to the policies that affect our daily lives.

How To Decide Who To Vote For...

Interns at WomenVote PA wanted to know how to decide who to vote for in the upcoming election. They decided to ask the Dean of the Annenberg School of Communication, Michel Delli Carpini, for his advice in sorting through all of the political campaign rhetoric.

Do You Vote?

The summer interns at WomenVote PA took to the streets and interviewed women to find out if they vote. This video is the first in a series of interviews conducted by WVPA summer interns! See other videos by WVPA and some of our favorites.

Voting Resources: Frequently Asked Questions

The League of Women Voters in Pennsylvania has an excellent section on their website where frequently asked questions are posted about voting. So please check it out - it deals with everything from registering to obtaining an absentee ballot and more.