Penn Leads the Vote

Penn Leads the Vote (PLTV) is a student-run, non-partisan program that increases voter engagement and voting while advancing Penn’s role of supporting the democratic and civic engagement of Penn students.  PLTV is university-wide and its leadership comes from both the undergraduate and graduate student bodies of the University of Pennsylvania. During election cycles, PLTV connects the Penn community with the resources needed to register and check registration, to be informed, and to get out to the polls.  Throughout the year, PLTV encourages students to learn about and engage with current issues and politics at the local, state, and national level.

​PLTV is based on the following:

• Civic engagement is vital to fully realizing the potential of democratic society.
• Colleges and universities have both an opportunity and a responsibility to support students’ democratic development civic participation, including but not limited to voting.
• PLTV can advance student learning and civic engagement not only by working with Penn students but also by supporting voter engagement across Penn (including staff and faculty) and with Penn’s local community.  PLTV will encourage students, faculty, and staff to engage with, learn from, and support the Philadelphia community on issues related to voter and civic engagement.
• PLTV will catalyze and work with academic research partnerships, such as ABCS courses, that can help develop, implement and evaluate PLTV strategies and programs.

PLTV was established in 2004 and operated by Fox Leadership until 2014.  PLTV was re-established in 2018 in the Netter Center for Community Partnerships.  PLTV works collaboration with the Office of Government and Community Affairs, which continuously oversees Penn’s compliance with voter engagement requirements and participation in on-campus elections.