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HomeTimely Topics Series

Upcoming Event
Timely Topics Speaker Series
brought to you by
The League of Women Voters of Westmoreland County

2026 Democracy Dies in Digital Silos Dr. Ghilani


Dr. Ghilani is the

Associate Professor of Communication

at the

University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

and Affiliate Scholar at the

University of Pittsburgh Institute

for Cyber Law Policy and Security




Timely Topics Event

 

Democracy Dies in Digital Silos:

Clickbait, Confirmation Bias, and Mis/Disinformation

 

See the video
Democracy Dies in Digital Silos

  

Sponsored by

Pi Sigma Alpha,

National Political Science Honor Society,

University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Chapter

and the

League of Women Voters

of Westmoreland County

 

The Timely Topics Speaker Series
brought to you by
The League of Women Voters of Westmoreland County
See below for recordings of speakers discussing topics that affect voters in Pennsylvania

2025_PA_Modern_Courts.png

"Your Vote Matters in Judicial Elections "

(Click on the title link above to view the presentation on YouTube.)

 

Presented By
Pennsylvanians
for Modern Courts

2025 PMC Logo
WCLWV_Timely_Topics_Sign_-_Ranked_Choice_Voting.jpg

"The Advantages and Limits of Ranked Choice Voting "
(Click on the title link above to view the presentation on YouTube.)

Presented By Dr. Paul Adams, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg


Dr, Paul Adams
2024_Timely_Topics_-Disinformation_Participation

"Disinformation in Local News, Social Media & Election Integrity"
(Click on the title link above to view the presentation on YouTube.)

Presented By Dr. Lara Putnam from the University Of Pittsburgh Disinformation Lab

2024_Timely_Topics_-Disinformation_-_Overall_View_2
2023 Finding One Billion Dollars Cescario


"Finding One Billion Dollars: Funding Westmoreland County Schools"

(Click on the title link above to view the video on YouTube.)

Presented By Matt Cesario former school board president of the
Keystone Oaks School District



2023 Finding One Billion Dollars Cesario
2023 K-12 Governance Cowell


"K-12 Governance and the Role of School Boards"

(Click on the title link above to view the presentation on YouTube.)

Presented By Ron Cowell of the Education and Policy Center



2023 K-12 Governance Cowell
2023 Election Integrity McCloskey


"Election Integrity and All Other Things Election"

(Click on the title link above to view the presentation on YouTube.)

Along with the video, click on the title below to view the
Election Integrity and All Other Things Election PowerPoint 

Presented By Greg McCloskey, Director of Westmoreland County Operations and the Election Bureau


2023 Election Integrity McCloskey
20230328 Closed Primaries 1

"What Closed Primaries Mean to Pennsylvania Voters"
(Click on the title link above to view the presentation on YouTube.)

Pennsylvania is one of only nine states that has a closed primary.  Closed primaries prevent more than one million independent & non-affiliated PA voters from having a voice in choosing candidates in primary elections.  

Presented By Jack Wagner, former PA State Senator and former Auditor General of Pennsylvania

20230328 Closed Primaries Event

What does the PA Closed Primary mean for PA voters?  

Only voters registered in PA as a member of one of the TWO MAJOR political parties--REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC--can vote in the PRIMARY for CANDIDATES for the GENERAL ELECTION.

Over 1.3 million Pennsylvanians are registered independents/ third parties and as unaffiliated voters they excluded from exercising their right to vote in PA primary elections.

"With greater participation, government will have more positive input." Jack Wagner

Military veterans are the highest demographic of voters registered as independents. 

Over 40% of military veterans are registered as independent in PA and are denied the right to vote in primary elections.

PA is one of only nine states that have closed primaries.   
There are many variations of open primaries.  The most recent PA Senate Bill 400 would allow registered voters who selected "no affiliation", "none", or "independent" on their PA voter registration application to choose to vote as a REPUBLICAN or DEMOCRATIC for that specific primary election.  PA Senate Bill 400 would not allow Republicans or Democrats to vote in the other party's primary election.

Ballot PA is a project of the Committee of Seventy and is a growing coalition of civic, community and business organizations committed to ensuring independents in Pennsylvania have the right to vote in primary elections.
Visit
BallotPA
for more information.