Community College of Philadelphia, the Urban League of Philadelphia to Host Virtual Voting Rights Panel

Contact: Megan Lello
Email: mlello@ccp.edu

Institutions team up on National Voter Registration Day to prepare community for upcoming presidential election; Mayor Kenney to provide welcome remarks

PHILADELPHIA – On National Voter Registration Day, celebrated today, Tuesday, Sept. 22, Community College of Philadelphia and the Urban League of Philadelphia will host a virtual voting rights discussion, “Voting in 2020.” The event is part of CCP Votes, a multi-year civic initiative designed to engage students in the community and the electoral process.

Panelists will address a variety of topics including voter registration barriers, mail-in ballot options, and changes in polling locations. Voter suppression will also be addressed as participants learn how to create a voting plan and make their voices heard. Panelists and speakers include Dr. Donald Guy Generals, College president; Mayor Jim Kenney; Andrea Custis, president and CEO, the Urban League of Philadelphia; Omar Sabir, commissioner, City of Philadelphia; Ashley Session, director of Civic Engagement and Partnerships, Committee of Seventy; and Michelle Lopez, manager of the College’s Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership.

"Community College of Philadelphia wants students to feel empowered to make the changes needed in the society they live in and to understand that, in order to have a strong and truly representative democracy, we all need to participate in it,” said Lopez.

Students at the College are civically minded as they continuously surpass the national voting rates for college students. In 2016, 63.4 percent of the College’s students voted in the presidential election, compared with an average rate of 50.4 percent for college students nationwide.

“Being an engaged citizen is at the core of the work of the Urban League of Philadelphia,” said Custis. “This event will provide an opportunity to help students and the larger community break through all the misinformation to ensure that they are ready and equipped to advocate for their families and communities at the ballot box.”

Several College events, including virtual debate watch parties and panels regarding women’s suffrage and global perspectives on American elections, are planned leading up to the presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

In addition, the College has announced that Election Day will be a Day of Service for students, faculty and staff. Classes will be suspended on that day and the College community is encouraged to volunteer on and leading up to Election Day by working the polls, participating in voter registration drives, and sharing information about voting rights.

WHAT: “Voting in 2020” Panel Discussion

WHO: Dr. Donald Guy Generals, president, Community College of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney Andrea Custis, president and CEO, Urban League of Philadelphia Omar Sabir, commissioner, City of Philadelphia Ashley Session, director of Civic Engagement and Partnerships, Committee of Seventy Michelle Lopez, manager, CCP Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership

WHERE: Virtual Zoom meeting https://ccp.zoom.us/j/97523370683 Dial-in: (312) 626 6799 | Webinar ID: 975 2337 0683

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 22 12:30 p.m.

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