Who is on the ballot? What do they believe in? Who are they running against? Elections can be daunting. With so many people on the ballot, it can be difficult to choose how to vote and who to vote for. In Pennsylvania this year, Villanovans can vote in many different races on the local level, the state level and the presidential level. Starting at the top of the ticket with presidential candidates going to the bottom of the ticket to races for attorney general, our votes count and can make a difference.
The United States House of Representatives has 435 Congresspeople, who represent hundreds of districts across the country. At the heart of the Main Line, Villanova is separated into two Congressional districts: PA-05 and PA-04. In the 2018 election, Mary Gay Scanlon was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 5th district, becoming the first woman since 2014 to represent Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives. Since 2018, Congresswoman Scanlon has represented District 5, which includes a majority of Villanova’s campus.
Scanlon’s career began as an attorney, fighting for all Americans by serving as a national pro bono counsel at a law firm, and providing legal services to lower income Americans and nonprofit organizations. According to her website, Scanlon cites her goal as an elected official to protect and improve the lives of America’s children, families, veterans and seniors. During her time in office, she has served on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Rules.
Villanovans and students may ask why they should vote in Pennsylvania, and where they can find out who is on the ballot. The Villanovan spoke with Scanlon about voting, her legislative priorities and the role students can play in the upcoming election.
The Villanovan asked Scanlon about the importance of student voting and how to decide where we should vote. Pennsylvania is a swing state (states in U.S. presidential elections that could potentially be won by either candidate), which means that student votes can make a big difference here.
“Everybody has the right to vote where their residence is,” Scanlon said.
For students, it can be where they are attending college.
“In Pennsylvania, elections are incredibly close and we will see that again this year in 2024, from the top of the ticket to the bottom of the ticket,” Scanlon said.
Scanlon stated that young people can make a difference, which was evident in recent social movements. She mentioned the March for Our Lives Movement, where thousands of students organized and registered voters, and as a result, gun safety laws were passed in the United States House and Senate, as well as in state houses.
“Young people and students have the power to turn the conversation around,” she said.
When asked about her legislative priorities this year, Scanlon cited elections, voting rights, environmental issues, gun violence and reproductive health as some of the most pressing issues to her. She noted that in Pennsylvania, a Democratically-controlled state legislature can advance gun safety around background checks and assault weapon bans. In terms of reproductive health, she sees that people are having to fight battles that should have been settled a long time ago.
As an elected official, Scanlon said that she is interested in helping to bring along the next generation of public leaders.
“I value the next generation of students and young leaders, and want to embrace the folks with energy and ideas to lead,” Scanlon said.
She hopes that the world of politics will pay attention to our generation.
To learn more about incumbent Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon and her work as a Congressional representative, visit Scanlon.house.gov. To register to vote or change one’s voter registration to Pennsylvania, visit pavoterservices.pa.gov.
