Say asomething short and sweet here

The past four years have made it clearer than ever that Pennsylvania is a key battleground for our country’s democracy. When the results of the 2020 Presidential Race were announced and Republicans attempted to steal the election by discrediting the integrity of Philadelphia’s voting system, I was on the frontlines of a mass movement to demand that every single vote be counted and the results be protected. And we prevailed.

But that doesn’t mean that our work stops there. The January 6th insurrection and repeated attempts by the GOP to spread misinformation and lies about voting across the country are proof that they will not stop in their quest to disenfranchise Black voters, immigrant voters, voters with disabilities, and young voters. What I know is this: when they inevitably seek to silence us again, we will be ready.

Protecting our voting rights in Philadelphia means being proactive, organized, and connected to those who have historically been excluded from the ballot box. That’s why in my first term I worked closely with Philadelphia’s City Commissioners who administer our elections to incorporate voter registration and education into all of my office’s community events. And as someone with four daughters who comes out of movements for public education, I know just how important it is to reach young voters and get them excited about civic participation. In my first term, I hosted “Youth Voter Registration Parties” to engage Philadelphia’s young people who had recently turned eighteen and become eligible to vote. I also worked closely with groups like Make the Road, One Pennsylvania, Free the Ballot, Unite Here Philly, and many others to ensure that we are conducting targeted, grassroots outreach to contact hard-to-reach voters in their communities, educate them about upcoming elections, and encourage them to cast their vote.

In my second term, I will continue to work with City and state leaders to pursue policies and legislation that make voting accessible, convenient, and safe for all citizens. Policies like automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, expanding voting rights to people who have been incarcerated, streamlining vote by mail, and making election day a national holiday are all policies that I support as a Councilmember. At a time when our democracy is under threat and our country is experiencing unprecedented political, economic, and social upheaval, the fight for the voting rights has never been more vital.