PathWays PA Policy Blog

Due to Coronavirus, Pennsylvania delayed their primary until June 2, 2020. Please remember that for the first time, Pennsylvanians are able to vote by mail. Read below to learn more or visit here . The League of Women Voters has published a list of actions that can help you vote during the coronavirus . Please take a look as we all continue to adapt to social distancing. *** PA primary elections are on June 2, 2020! If you live in Pennsylvania and are eligible to vote, you need to be registered by May 18, 2020. (If you live in another state, please visit  866-OUR-VOTE  to find your state's information.) ***If you have any issues on Election Day, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  Be sure to bring this number with you when you vote!*** NEW THIS YEAR: Mail-In Ballots, Extended Voter Registration Period, and More Pennsylvania made some changes to election law  on October 29, 2019. Mail-in ballots: PA voters may choose to mail their ballot inste...

UPDATED 4/8/2020 - PA PRIMARY MOVED TO JUNE 2, 2020 Due to Coronavirus, Pennsylvania delayed their primary until June 2, 2020. Please read our blog post here for information based on the new date . Please remember that for the first time, Pennsylvanians are able to vote by mail. Read below to learn more or visit here . ***

Governor Wolf presented his sixth budget today with a focus on education, supporting workers and the workforce, and reducing gun violence. Overall, the budget increases spending to $36 billion compared to last year. Governor Wolf also proposed a higher minimum wage (as he did last year), raising the current rate of $7.25/hour to $12/hour by July and then increasing the wage over time until it reaches $15 in 2026. The last time the minimum wage increased in Pennsylvania was when the federal government increased the wage in 2009. Here are some of the articles we've been reading on the budget: Highlights of the proposed 2020-21 Pennsylvania budget Pa. Governor’s Budget Pushes for Addressing Asbestos in Schools, College Debt Aid Pa. budget: Another year of flat funding for public libraries lands them in ‘Loser’ list Governor Wolf Urges Legislature to Tackle Gun Violence, Student Debt, Toxic Schools Click here for large version Click here to view larger version

General elections are on November 5, 2019. If you live in Pennsylvania and are eligible to vote, you needed to be registered by October 9. If you live in another state, please visit our site via  Rock the Vote  to find your state's information. If you are not sure if you are registered in PA,  you can confirm your registration status in the Pennsylvania voter registration database . ( If you missed the deadline, register now for the primaries next year!  Y ou can register through Pennsylvania's  website , via  our site powered by Rock the Vote , or by  mailing in an application .) *** If you have any issues on Election Day, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  Issues  may include (but are not limited to): being told the wrong date/time to vote; not being allowed to cast a  provisional ballot ; being intimidated or challenged at the polls.  Be sure to bring this number with you when you vote! *** Who Am I Voting For? On Novem...

Are you planning to be a voter this November? If you live in Pennsylvania, you need to register to vote by October 7, 2019. If you are not registered by October 7, 2019, you won't be able to vote in this election. To vote in Pennsylvania, you must be: Age 18 or older on Election Day (November 5, 2019) A US citizen A resident of Pennsylvania for at least 30 days before the election If you are on active duty in the military, or you are a hospitalized or bedridden veteran, you can register at any time. See  www.fvap.gov  for more information. How do I register? You can register to vote  online  or by  sending this form  to the county voter registration office. You can also  register in person at your voter registration office . P ennDOT and some other government agencies  can also take your registration. I voted before. Do I still need to register? If you already registered to vote in Pennsylvania and have voted recently,...

If you live in Pennsylvania, please make a plan to vote in the primaries on May 21. You can see a list of upcoming elections in all states here . Please use and share our guide to make it easier to prepare for Election Day. *** If you have any issues on Election Day, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  Issues  may include (but are not limited to): being told the wrong date/time to vote; not being allowed to cast a  provisional ballot ; being intimidated or challenged at the polls.  Be sure to bring this number with you when you vote! *** Who is running for office? In Pennsylvania, voters will choose candidates for judges, school boards, and local government positions. The candidates who win will go on to the General Election in November. You can only vote for candidates running in your party in the Pennsylvania primaries unless there is a special election. Several districts will be holding special elections on May 21 - you can find the list here . There are a...

Are you planning to be a voter this May? If you live in Pennsylvania, you need to register to vote by April 22, 2019. If you are not registered by April 22, 2019, you won't be able to vote in this election. To vote in Pennsylvania, you must be: Age 18 or older on Election Day (May 21, 2019) A US citizen A resident of Pennsylvania for at least 30 days before the election If you are on active duty in the military, or you are a hospitalized or bedridden veteran, you can register at any time. See www.fvap.gov for more information. How do I register? You can register to vote online or by sending this form to the county voter registration office. You can also register in person at your voter registration office . P ennDOT and some other government agencies can also take your registration. I voted before. Do I still need to register? If you already registered to vote in Pennsylvania, you shouldn't need to do it again unless you need to change your name...

One week after the November mid-term elections, there are still a few races yet to be decided - both at the federal level and in at least one PA state race . Nationally, Democrats now have a majority in the House of Representatives, while Republicans keep control of the Senate. 36 states had elections for Governor last week. 16 Democrats and 18 Republicans were elected, while 2 races remain undecided. The 2018 election brought a number of "firsts" to Congress, including the first Native American Congresswomen, the first Muslim Congresswomen, and, for some states, their first African American or female legislators. PBS and The Washington Post  have more information on the most diverse group of people elected in American history.  Here are some takeaways on the election: From FiveThirtyEight :  Voter turnout was huge, with an estimated 116 million additional people voting in the 2018 midterm compared to 2014.  104 new people are going to the House of Repr...

Updated October 30, 2018: Make a plan to be a voter! There are a few places you can go to check out your ballot and learn more about the people running for office in your area: Vote411.org , a project of the League of Women Voters Ballotpedia , a digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. BallotReady , which lists every ballot and referendum and shows information on the candidates. All sites offer nonpartisan information to help you prepare for the election. You can also use Vote.org  (another nonpartisan organization) to make sure you are registered to vote , find your polling place, and more. You can even sign up for election reminders to make sure you get out to the polls. Please note: during the November  General Election , anyone who is registered to vote, no matter their party, is eligible to cast a ballot. Independent and third party voters are able to vote . Voters may choose anyone on the ballot they wish - they do not have to vote for some...

This year, PathWays PA is holding a Voter Registration and Literacy Fair on September 25 (which is  National Voter Registration Day ). Every year millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. On Tuesday, September 25, 2018, volunteers and organizations from all over the country will “hit the streets” in a single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts. National Voter Registration Day seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise. In addition to voter registration, the following organizations will join us to make presentations and provide information about their work: Delaware County Libraries Friends of the Delaware County Women's Commission League of Women Voters ,  Pennsylvania Institute of Technology,   Strayer University Please join us...

There were few surprises in this year's Pennsylvania budget (other than the fact that it finished up early). We've compiled our usual list below of line items affecting low-income families and the people we serve. To see the full budget, visit the PA Office of the Budget . As you can see below, most line items that we follow stayed level or increased in funding. While the Governor's budget "zeroed out" (removed funding) from a few, all programs that we watch regained their funding in the legislature.

Primary elections are just around the corner, and if you live in Pennsylvania and are eligible to vote, you need to be registered by April 16. (If you live in another state, please visit Rock the Vote to find your state's information.) [EDIT (May 1, 2018): If you missed the April deadline to register for the primaries, get a jump on registration for the General Election in November. Head here  to register online right away!] *** If you have any issues on Election Day, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  Issues  may include (but are not limited to): being told the wrong date/time to vote; not being allowed to cast a  provisional ballot ; being intimidated or challenged at the polls.  Be sure to bring this number with you when you vote! *** Who is Running for Office? On May 15, you can vote for a primary candidate to become Pennsylvania's Governor and Lieutenant Governor. You can also vote for candidates for the US Senate, US House of Representatives, Sta...

Click here to enlarge This afternoon, Governor Wolf announced the 2018-2019 budget, along with some of his policy initiatives for the year. In his budget speech , he proposed an additional $125 million for K-12 education and a new program, called Community Health Choices, designed to help seniors receive care in their communities instead of in facilities. The budget summary  also calls for an increase in the minimum wage, modernization of the Equal Pay law, and the passage of a statewide paid sick days bill. The chart pictured here shows selected line items from the Governor's budget. Basic Education, Pre-K Counts, and the Children's Health Insurance Program are among the programs set to get an increase, while Adult and Family Literacy and County Assistance Offices see a slight decrease in funding. A number of programs, including Mobile Science and Math Education, Job Training and Special Education, Regional Cancer Institutes, ALS Support Services, and the New Choices/Ne...

They're still dotting the eyes and crossing the t's, but it looks like we will have a PA budget that is close to on time. After a Senate vote earlier, the House must also approve the budget legislation before it heads to Governor Wolf. The Governor has indicated he will sign the bill, but probably not until early next week when other pieces of the budget are ready for his signature too. Below is our chart on the final budget proposal. Most (but not all) of the programs we track received flat or increased funding. Click here to enlarge

Municipal elections provide an opportunity to make a big impact at the local level. In Pennsylvania, primary elections for local school boards, the Commonwealth Court, and other offices will happen May 16. Make a plan and get out to vote! *** If you have any issues on Election Day, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  Issues may include (but are not limited to): being told the wrong date/time to vote; not being allowed to cast a provisional ballot ; being intimidated or challenged at the polls.  Be sure to bring this number with you when you vote! *** The following information is for people who are registered to vote in Pennsylvania. If you live in another state, or have questions that are not answered in this post, please visit https://g.co/kgs/OdzMlN . Who is Running for Office? On May 16, you can vote for school board, state and local judges, and several other races. You may be able to find a list of people running for office at Ballotpedia . Will I Need Vote...

The Pennsylvania State House voted yesterday to pass a 2017-2018 budget package that cuts $815 million in spending from the budget proposed by Governor Wolf in February. The final vote was 114-85, with most (but not all) Republicans supporting the plan but no Democratic votes. The bill now moves on to the Senate. Budget cuts could be found across the board, including the human services line items that we follow. Some increases to education made by the governor remain in the budget, although early childhood education is getting a smaller increase than requested. Please take a look at the chart below to see how your budget items fared, or look at the full budget here . Your next steps: Look at the line items that matter to you, and call your state senator to share your thoughts. Should something be getting more money? Less? Tell your senator today. (PS - The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center has a Fair Share Tax proposal on their website that could give you some ideas on how a...

As in most years, we've put together a graphic highlighting programs of special interest to PathWays PA and our clients. Please take a look and let us know what you think of the Governor's proposed funding methods.

Election Day is November 8, and as many of us prepare to go to the polls, the Harvard Kennedy School is reporting that making a plan (and asking others to do so) is the best way to increase turnout. "Research by Harvard Kennedy School Associate Professor Todd Rogers demonstrates that nudging voters to formulate a voting plan a few days in advance of an election will indeed increase turnout. In fact, it doubled the impact of the next best “typical” get out the vote tactic." So, what's your plan? The national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition suggests these steps (you can download them here): Make sure you are registered to vote. If you are not registered, you can register here (although depending on the state you live in, you may be too late for this election). You can verify your voter registration here . Know when and where you are voting. You can find your polling place here  (or by googling "polling place") and find out when the polls are...

Whether you're obsessed with the election or ready for it to be over, your vote still matters on Election Day. As we approach November 8, here's some information to help you prepare for casting your ballot. *** If you have any issues on Election Day, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  Issues may include (but are not limited to): being told the wrong date/time to vote; not being allowed to cast a provisional ballot ; being intimidated or challenged at the polls.  Be sure to bring this number with you when you vote! *** The following information is for people who are registered to vote in Pennsylvania. If you live in another state, or have questions that are not answered in this post, please visit http://www.vote411.org  or  https://g.co/kgs/OdzMlN . Who is Running for Office? On November 8, you can vote for President, US Senator, State Attorney General, and several other races. Pennsylvania will also have at least one ballot question regarding the ret...