While deep canvassing ahead of the last presidential election, one moment stayed with Adam Barbanel-Fried. At one home, an African American woman stepped outside and asked, “You want a story about voting?” She then told him how her grandparents, year after year in Texas, would line up to vote, only to be turned away each […]

Before Generocity delves into this month’s flourishing solutions on voting and civic engagement, we’d like to share one reader’s idea of what it takes to increase civic engagement: “We need to change the structure of the ‘[get out the vote]’ conversation and create space for nonvoters to be seen, heard, and acknowledged rather than having […]

In wards across Philadelphia, ballots for the 2025 Municipal Primary Election included positions for which no candidates were listed at all. Offices such as “Judge of Election” or “Inspector of Election” were simply left blank on the ballot for Philadelphia County. This was not a printing error. These were real vacancies — seats in the […]

Philadelphians aren’t voting in their local elections. In the 2023 mayoral and city council election, voter turnout consisted of only 31% of registered voters, following a meager 27% in the primaries as well. As Philadelphia is a heavily Democratic city, the mayoral race is effectively decided in the primary. In the last election, Cherelle Parker […]

Growing up, I was always so excited when my mother would take me into the voting booth with her. These experiences made me feel like a grown-up, an essential part of the democracy I learned about in school. It instilled in me a sense of civic duty. As an adult, I made it a point […]

This past Sunday, September 15th, marked Democracy Day—an international day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to observe, promote, and uphold the principles of democracy.   In alignment with The U.S. Democracy Day collaborative, Generocity launched its observation on September 4th with the feature “Disillusioned, but not defeated: What young adults are looking for.” […]

In the 2020 election, 18- to 29-year-olds proved to be a strong force. According to a May 2023 NPR article, they made up about 1 in 6 voters and boosted President Biden to a decisive victory by more than 20 points, exit polls show.    Four years later, the 18-to 29-year-old age group is showing […]