Thanks for your interest in Students for Ballot PA! Over 60% of young voters nationally identify as independents. Pennsylvania remains one of seven states with closed primaries, which lock out over one million independent voters. We are trying to get a bi-partisan bill passed through the state legislature to Governor Shapiro's desk before July 2024.
Students for Ballot PA is the volunteer-based student-driven chapter of the Ballot PA campaign, a prominent advocacy effort aimed at expanding democratic participation in Pennsylvania. We are on a mission to pass a crucial bill (HB979 / HB 976 in the House and SB400 in the Senate) through Pennsylvania's state legislature. These bills will re-enfranchise the 1.2 million registered independent voters to participate in primary elections. With bipartisan backing, this legislative change can significantly contribute to strengthening democracy, particularly among college-aged Pennsylvanians and veterans. Our initiative is led by nationally-renowned civic leader David Thornburgh and is hosted by the esteemed Committee of Seventy.
Last fall, we played a pivotal role in securing the passage of HB 979 and HB 976 through the House State Government Committee: holding a rally in Harrisburg, engaging in a letter writing campaign, and writing student newspaper opinion pieces. We now turn our focus to getting the bill onto the floor for a vote. Ultimately, we seek the bill's passage through the house by the end of this semester.
We are actively seeking a dedicated and passionate college student to organize and/or sustain a school chapter. As a key member of our leadership team, you will play an essential role in advancing our mission by devoting approximately 5 hours per week to lead our legislative outreach initiatives. Your ultimate job will be to convince your state representative to support -- and advocate -- for this bill the House leadership. Here are some things that you could be doing:
- Lead and coordinate high-quality legislative outreach initiatives on campus.
- Organize and execute projects, such as legislative office visits, campus speaker invitations, letter-writing events, and door-knocking campaigns.
- Manage project budgets, ensuring effective utilization of allocated funds.
- Recruit and engage students, fostering active participation in advocacy efforts.
- Foster a sense of civic engagement and positive impact within the campus community.
This application is intended for us to get to know you better. We will email you shortly after completion of this form. Questions? Email Swarthmore Co-Chair Danika Grieser at dgriese1@swarthmore.edu or Gettysburg Co-Chair McKenzie Huff at huffmc01@gettysburg.edu
