PHILADELPHIA – At 7:30 p.m. ET on May 14, All Voting is Local and Pennsylvania Voice will hold a virtual town hall where state officials will encourage voting by mail during Pennsylvania’s June 2 primary election amid safety concerns around COVID-19. The event aims to educate Pennsylvanians on how to vote by mail, especially non-native English speakers; clarify confusion around the rescheduled primary; and address concerns voters have about voting in the era of COVID-19.
ACT 77, which was signed into law in October 2019, specifies that voters no longer need a reason or excuse to acquire a mail-in ballot. As Pennsylvanians prepare to cast their votes in the June 2 primary, it has become increasingly apparent that many voters will choose to vote by mail during this pandemic. Ensuring that this and future elections are safe, accessible, and fair to all voters is paramount – particularly in historically disenfranchised Black and Brown communities where polling places are often the first to shutter.
Additionally, voters without fixed address or limited internet access, people with disabilities, and people who need language assistance (10.6% of Philadelphians have limited English proficiency) still require safe in-person voting options before and on Election Day.
This virtual town hall is part of a series of events for Turn Up Tuesdays, a weekly national call to action, launched by All Voting is Local and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights through their joint “And Still I Vote” campaign. The effort aims to mobilize voters and urge officials to ensure free, fair, and safe elections in 2020.
When: Thursday, May 14, 2020 | 7:30 p.m ET. – 8:30 p.m. ET
Host: Charles Ellison, executive producer and host of Reality Check on WURD Radio
Participants:
- Scott Seeborg, Pennsylvania state director, All Voting is Local
- Jessica Walls-Lavelle, special advisor to the chief of staff and director, Office of Governor Tom Wolf (D-Pa.)
- Rachel Boss, community impact manager at the Bureau of Campaign Finance & Civic Engagement, Pennsylvania Department of State
- Stephen Latanishen, director, Intergovernmental Affairs Office, Pennsylvania Department of State
- Will Gonzalez, Esq., executive director, CEIBA
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