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Increasing voter turnout in local elections

The contentious 2020 Presidential election and 2022 mid-term elections were valuable opportunities to remember the importance and impact of their vote in local races and elections. While election turnout fluctuates based on competitiveness and voter interest, there is a persistent pattern of low participation in local elections. This low voter turnout has a profound effect on the daily life of communities, impacting everything from schools and housing to transportation, police and parks. This article identifies cities and towns that have been successful at activating voters in local ...

Decisions to be made

Now that we are on the down side of Old Lycoming Township election for two supervisors, I felt compelled to again write to you the voters. Remember 2022 when all of you where kept in the dark about the regionalization of your police department with Tiadaghton Regional Police Department. The chairperson of the Board of Supervisors told you they would be holding public meetings to keep you advised on the progress of regionalization between the two departments. In March of 2022 a number of residents went to the Old Lycoming Township supervisors’ meeting when they found out that they ...

Delivering a people-driven, future-focused platform for Pennsylvania

Dating back to our first state constitution in 1776, couched as the most democratic and radical of all state constitutions at the dawn of the United States, Pennsylvania has always been on the cutting edge of national transformation. As we once again face an era of divided government and fluctuating razor thin majorities in the state House, Pennsylvania will be in no less of a position to lead by example and forge a path ahead. But getting there takes vision and bold action. And right now, we recognize many feel like the Commonwealth is stuck and have an uneasy feeling about our ...

Bipartisan support for school reform

In Pennsylvania, divides over public education remain constant. The debates range from school funding disputes to curriculum fights, from arguments over critical race theory and gender identity policies to disagreements over teacher contracts and sports. Public education is commanding the attention of the state legislature, school boards, and courts. One thing, however, is clear: parents want educational options for their children. In a recent Common Ground poll commissioned by the Commonwealth Foundation, two-thirds of registered voters in Pennsylvania grade the quality of the ...

Understanding vaccine hesitancy in communities of color

The COVID-19 vaccination rate in the Black community lagged well behind that of Whites in the early vaccine rollout, but the gap has narrowed over time. Surveys show that COVID-19 vaccine acceptance increased faster among Black individuals than among White individuals since December 2020. A key factor seems to be that Black individuals more rapidly came to believe that vaccines were necessary to protect themselves and their communities. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 78% of the total population in the United States has received at least ...

Are voters tired of Trump?

DOYLESTOWN — Richard Tems was about as loyal a Trump supporter as you can get. The Bucks County businessman and GOP committeeman has fiercely defended former President Donald Trump in editorials, interviews with reporters and conversations with anyone within earshot. He voted for Trump twice and believed he was the right president at the right time. However, eight years after the New York businessman and entertainer came down the escalator in Trump Tower in June 2015, Tems said he would move on in next year’s Pennsylvania primary. He plans to vote instead for Gov. Ron DeSantis, ...