Jefferson Votes

Informed and active voters are fundamental to the work of improving the health of their communities.

Jefferson Votes is a nonpartisan civic engagement initiative spearheaded by nonprofit partners of the Jefferson Regional Foundation. Working together, nonprofit stakeholders and Foundation staff have developed resources (linked above) to achieve the following outcomes:

• Offer resources to community partners to promote voter registration and participation within the communities served by Jefferson Hospital.
• Increase confidence and access to the voting process.
• Raise enthusiasm and engagement in the region in the civic process to promote a more inclusive community and equitable access to resources.

Nonprofit organizations serve as trusted resources for community members to strengthen their voice through voter engagement.

Nonpartisan voter engagement is legal, ethical, and professional. Nonprofit VOTES has a list of reasons why nonprofits in particular, should participate in voter engagement:

• Communities with high turnout have better access to elected officials, increased clout, and are in a better position to raise awareness about their issues.
• Voters are most likely to advocate for their communities and participate civically in other ways.
• When community members are mobilized to vote, leaders often emerge, including those interested in seeking offices.
• Communities that register and vote are more likely to elect representatives that reflect the diversity and the interests of the community.
• Nonprofits are uniquely positioned to reach community members that traditional campaigns usually can’t. Nonprofits have trust and respect with their clients and constituents which can lead to a higher likelihood for people to respond to nonpartisan appeals to vote.
• Voting is habit-forming. Once you are registered you are more likely to vote regularly.

Head to the Jefferson Votes Toolkit for resources on how to execute effective voter engagement. This toolkit has numerous voter engagement resources, including a Jefferson Votes Election Guide, Jefferson Votes Pledge Card, sample communications and social media.

In addition, the below resources will help support nonpartisan voter engagement efforts:

• The Pennsylvania Election and Voter Information Website
• League of Women Voters Resources
• Allegheny Votes Election Division
• Nonprofit VOTES Resource Library:
  • The Benefits of Voting
  • What Nonprofit Staff Can Say About the Election
  • Webinar: How Your Nonprofit Can Host a Phone or Text Bank to Reach Voters
  • Permissible Election Activities Checklist
  • Using Social Media to Promote Voting