Lately, I’ve felt my anxiety rising as I navigate through Schwenksville and its neighboring communities. Political signs crowd the area roads, yards, and storefronts, transforming the normally picturesque landscape into a battleground of opinions. Just the other day, while picking up notebooks at the Dollar Store, I received an unfriendly gesture from a woman holding a sign at a roadside rally. The moment was jarring, lingering in my mind and filling me with unease as I reflect on how easily civility seems to have eroded. This fleeting encounter felt like a microcosm of a larger, unprecedented climate of hostility, making me question the sense of community that once connected us, regardless of party affiliation.

As a woman, I am deeply aware of the rights I enjoy, made possible by pioneers like Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott. These figures challenged the norms of their time and faced tremendous obstacles, yet their efforts paved the way for future generations. A central legacy of their struggle is the Nineteenth Amendment, a transformative milestone in American democracy, affirming that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged…on account of sex.” This monumental victory, woven into the fabric of American identity, came after decades of struggle—one that many early supporters did not live to see but that continues to empower and inspire us today.

On the eve of Election Day, millions of Americans are preparing to visit their polling places to cast their votes for critical local and national leaders. In the weeks leading up to this moment, news outlets have highlighted the influential role female voters may play in determining the outcome of this election–a fitting time to reflect on how Pennsylvania suffragists Dora Lewis and Caroline Katzenstein might view this momentous reality.

According to statistics from the Center for American Women and Politics, women have registered and voted at higher rates than men in every presidential election since 1980, with the gender turnout gap widening over time. In fact, the most recent figures show nearly eight million more registered female voters than men–a powerful testament to the legacy left by those early suffragists.

In Pennsylvania, the women’s suffrage movement emerged as an extension of the abolitionist movement. The state’s first women’s rights convention took place in Chester County in 1852, likely inspiring the founding of the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association in 1869. In 1915, Pennsylvania hosted a pivotal referendum on women’s suffrage, featuring activists from across the country, the publication of the now-famous The Suffrage Cookbook, and the casting of the “Justice Bell”—a replica of the Liberty Bell, symbolizing the fight for equality. This bell, weighing more than eighteen hundred pounds, traveled over 3,900 miles on the back of a truck, rallying support statewide. While the referendum didn’t succeed, it laid a strong foundation for the advocacy that followed.

By 1917, New York had adopted women’s suffrage, and in 1918, President Wilson expressed support for a federal amendment. The Nineteenth Amendment was passed by the House in May 1919 and ratified by Tennessee in August 1920, securing the necessary three-fourths state approval. Pennsylvania had ratified the amendment a year earlier, allowing women to cast their votes for the first time on November 2, 1920.

Philadelphia-born Dora Lewis was a pivotal figure in this movement. An early supporter of Alice Paul and the National Woman’s Party, she was one of the thirty-three suffragists imprisoned at the Occoquan Workhouse during the 1917 “Night of Terror.” Enduring psychological intimidation and physical violence, Lewis was thrown into a tiny cell, striking her head on an iron bed and rendering her unconscious. Her account of “gasping and suffocating with the agony” during this ordeal sparked public outrage. Following her release, she continued her work, traveling to promote women’s rights and joining further protests for equality.

Similarly, Caroline Katzenstein, who moved to Philadelphia from North Carolina in 1907, became a leader in the Pennsylvania suffrage movement. She held key roles in the Equal Franchise Society of Philadelphia and the National Woman’s Party. After the Nineteenth Amendment passed, Katzenstein tirelessly advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment and helped raise awareness for equitable pay in women’s professions. Her legacy as a champion for women’s rights endures.

In the months leading up to Election Day, state election officials hire and train tens of thousands of local workers to operate more than two hundred thousand polling places around the country. Over the past two hundred fifty years, these locations have undergone significant transformations, most notably due to advancements in technology.

Elections are managed locally, with state oversight ensuring that every vote is accurately cast and that the process remains consistent and fair. In Pennsylvania, the integrity of elections is paramount, starting with stringent chain of custody requirements governing ballot handling. Non-partisan election officials carefully monitor and track every ballot throughout the process—whether delivered by mail, placed in secure drop boxes, or cast in person.

To vote legally in Pennsylvania, individuals must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old by Election Day, residents of the state for at least thirty days prior to Election Day, and not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction or convicted of violating the Pennsylvania Election Code in the last four years.

All votes in Pennsylvania have a paper record, allowing for confirmation of results and examination of ballots if necessary. After every election, county election boards are required by law to conduct post-election audits to verify the accuracy of the results. 

Polls open tomorrow, November 5, at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 8 p.m. The state confirms more than nine thousand polling places throughout the Commonwealth’s sixty-seven counties. Despite the tensions and divisions that surround us, Election Day reminds us of the collective power each of us holds and the journey it has taken to get here. Every voice, male or female, matters.

Local Polling Places:

Schwenksville – Schwenksville Elementary School

Collegeville – Trinity United Church of Christ, Ursinus College, Collegeville Borough Hall

Royersford – Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Royersford Elementary School

Perkiomen Township – Evergreen Elementary School

Green Lane – Green Lane Fire Company

Skippack Township – Skippack Elementary School

Limerick – Limerick Elementary School

Lower Frederick – Lower Frederick Municipal Building

Upper Frederick – Perkiomenville Mennonite Church

Lower Salford – Oak Ridge Elementary School

Upper Salford – Upper Salford Fire House

Trappe – South Elementary SchoolUpper Providence Township – Springford Middle School