Post-Election Message from President Finegold
Dear Chatham Community,
Last week we witnessed a historic and remarkable election with some of the highest levels of voter turnout the United States has ever experienced despite a pandemic. In addition, millions of voters cast their ballots for the first time, including what looks like a record number of young and student voters.
This increase in youth voting is testament to both the enthusiasm and deep concern that young people have for the future of our country. Seeing the level of civic engagement, a core part of Chatham’s mission, from people of all ages, and especially from young people, is a movement worth celebrating.
It’s also worth taking a moment to celebrate the efforts of everyone who made this historic level of engagement possible, especially those who took on additional personal risk during a public health crisis -- volunteers who helped register voters, poll workers, election committees, and the elected officials here in Allegheny County (and across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) who did so much to make voting accessible, secure and safe for all during this historic pandemic. They should be extremely proud of the work they’ve done and are still doing (under challenging circumstances) to finalize and certify the election results.
As a father, a college president and a U.S. citizen, it has been uplifting to see so many young people actively investing their time and effort in our democracy, and the success of our Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics (PCWP) in supporting constructive dialogue and debate about the key issues facing our country and state. And at a time when literally the whole world was watching Pittsburgh and the Commonwealth, I’m gratified to know that our electoral process, and the dedicated public servants who make it work, have been able to rise to the challenges posed by the pandemic to insure each vote is counted. I can only hope that such high levels of interest and participation continue in the years ahead
Let us offer our sincere appreciation to everyone who participated. Your actions are proof that the future of our democracy is in very good hands.
David Finegold