Twelve Progressive Organizations Announce Innovative Common Election Endorsement Program

Coalition fights perceived enthusiasm gap by “working together for victory.” Creates PA Progressive Voters Guide
 
(PHILADELPHIA)—Twelve of Pennsylvania’s largest and most influential progressive organizations have created an innovative common election endorsement program, the Pennsylvania Progressive Voters Guide.  The twelve groups, including unions, environmental, LGBT, reproductive choice and education groups, have often worked together around issues and elections.  But this is the first time they have put together a tool that will allow voters to see endorsements of each of the organizations.
 
The Pennsylvania Progressive Voters Guide will consist of multiple tools that will allow voters to receive and distribute the guide.  The guide will be available online at www.paprogressivevotersguide.org .
 
Voters can select a local version of the guide by PA House District.  This will allow voters to have a personalized guide instead of having to work through hundreds of endorsements to find their local races.
 
“This is an exciting new use of technology, but it’s also an important use of the growing level of cooperation and collaboration among progressive groups in Pennsylvania,” said Eileen Connelly, Executive Director of SEIU PA State Council, one of the participating groups.
 
The guide will be distributed via the email networks of the participating organizations, as well as through social media.  Another unique tool will be a mobile phone text tool that will allow voters to view the guide in the voting booth.  Voters can also download the guide and print it at home.  Supporters are encouraged to copy their local version and share it with neighbors.
 
The group endorsed a total of 227 candidates for US Senate, Governor, Congress, State Senate and State House.  While most of the endorsements went to Democrats, there were 46 Republicans and one Green who also got endorsements from the participating organizations.
 
In all, the groups anticipate that 500,000 voters will receive the guide.
 
Keystone Progress Action Fund coordinated the project and provided the technology and staff support.  All participating organizations are members of the America Votes network in Pennsylvania.  The endorsing groups are Action United, PA AFL-CIO, Clean Water Action, Conservation Voters Pennsylvania, Education Voters of Pennsylvania, Equality Pennsylvania, Planned Parenthood of PA Advocates and PAC, PA State Education Association PACE, SEIU PA State Council and the Sierra Club.