What is Vote 16 PA?
The goal of Vote16 PA is to codify the rights of 16- and 17-year-olds in Pennsylvania to vote for school board candidates in municipal elections. Through this student-led program and with support and guidance from The Fund staff, participants will build confidence in their advocacy skills, creating a foundation for them to use moving into adulthood. They will lead and participate in the political process by learning about how a bill becomes a law – not just the internal actions during the legislative process, but how to build coalitions and gain the public support that is needed to make policy change. If you are a high school student or young adult who would like to get involved, click here.
If you are a high school or college student in Pennsylvania and are interested in applying, stay tuned! We will post on the website and social media when applications open.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead"
Why do we choose to work on this?
We know that civic engagement is paramount to our democracy – and that young people vote at lower rates than older adults. We also know based on research that the younger someone starts voting, the more likely they are to consistently vote as they grow older. Why does this matter for women’s rights? At The Fund, we center our work around those with lived experience and those most impacted by the issues. It is critical that young women have and participate in their voting rights. Not too long ago women of color and women who couldn't read English did not have the right to vote (legislation has passed to address these issues in1965 and 1975 respectively).
Expanded voting rights means and expanded representation – something that is critical to our democracy.
To learn more about the research that backs our goals, click here.
How are we working on voter rights?
Vote16 PA participants attend virtual meetings to connect with other participants, review what has happened, and discuss what needs to happen. The participants have self-selected into three subgroups: research, communications, and coalition. In between meetings, participants work on their specific sub-topic. They are building coalitions, meeting with organizations and elected officials, creating social media and documentation to share, and researching existing voter expansion outcomes and voter registration processes. Participants are attending school board meetings, connecting with other civic engagement organizations, and building out social media campaigns. While working to identify legislators to introduce legislation that would lower the voting age, participants meet with legislators from across the state to build support and momentum for our movement.
