YinzVote.com is a little website I’ve put together to share nonpartisan, Pittsburgh-specific information about voting.
Why Pittsburgh specific election information?
- Information for Pittsburghers. There are so many websites about the election. So much information. Most of it is good. Some of them are great. Some of the sites are not so great. Information is being shared at the national level, at the state level and at the county level. The Pennsylvania Department of State is doing an amazing job sharing election information online. (Please make sure to follow @PAstatedept on Instagram.) The information Pittsburghers need is at the county level. For example, the state and national websites do not always have specific information about where Pittsburghers can drop off mail-in ballots before the election.
- Searching for Pittsburgh information. If there is one thing I know from almost two decades of blogging about Pittsburgh, it is about Pittsburgh search info. Almost every single election-related website says “Allegheny County,” but most people sit down and search where they live. If Yinz Vote can help one voter searching for info get to their polling place, then the site was worth it.
- Black & Gold > red or blue.
Black & Gold > red or blue.
About a month ago, I was sitting on the patio at Cafe Raymond in the Strip District, feeling a little distraught about the state of things in the world. It was the perfect Pittsburgh Sunday morning. Sunny, unseasonably warm, and Penn Ave. was crawling with Steelers fans decked in their best black and gold. (Ok, there were a few Cowboys fans on the street, too. )
Seeing the sea of Steelers fans gave me some hope. Earlier in the week, I was listening to a podcast about how it would take an act of war to bring the country together. I thought there has to be another way to bring people together.
And I am grateful to have been born in Steeler Country. Even if you aren’t a fan of the game of football, you can enjoy the community of Steelers fans. When I tell someone I am from Pittsburgh, and they ask me if I am a Steelers fan. My answer is, of course, that I was born into it, and I say I am a fan of the fans.
So, I’ve been thinking about the upcoming election. If you live in Pittsburgh, you can’t not think about the election. Then I was listening to a podcast about pre-suasion, which talked about the importance of unity.
I phoned a friend and asked, “How do we make this election fun.” Thankfully, as Pittsburghers we have sports teams to bring us together. Even if you don’t love the sports, it is hard not to be a fan of the fans.
So, Yinz Vote was born. This election has been something. Pennsylvania, living up to its name as the keystone state, is the key to this election.
Please follow & share Yinz Vote with your friends
- YinzVote Facebook page (this was the old Vote PGH Facebook page, I dusted it off and gave it a facelift.)
- Instagram @yinzvote
- www.YinzVote.com
