Welcome to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A state with a rich history that allows residents and visitors to walk in the footsteps of this country's founding fathers.
¡Bienvenido! to the farms, rivers and mountains that served as a backdrop to the drafting and signing of the Constitution, a document that continues to guide our nation more than 200 years later.
In 1682, the year Philadelphia found a home on the map, it became the first city in the new world to guarantee religious freedom. The city adopted the motto, "Philadelphia maneto;" let brotherly love endure. To this day, the city continues to embrace those who step into its boundaries.
Pennsylvania is home to almost 1 million Latinos. The growing population, throughout the state and the country, include students, entrepreneurs, physicians, artists, elected officials and educators. The Latino community plays an important role in every industry within the United States, helping our nation move forward. And as we prepare for another election, the contributions of the Latino community are being affirmed by the state and the city of Philadelphia.
As Philadelphia prepares to welcome the Democratic National Convention, local Latino businesses are getting in on the action. Their work includes managing and selling DNC2016 official merchandise and working on PoliticalFest, the largest convention-related event open to the public.
The convention organizers also made it a priority to make sure news and opportunities are available in English and Spanish. In an effort to reach and engage more Latinos than ever, organizers developed a bilingual, digital presence that includes the Spanish-language page on the official Convention website and the Spanish language Twitter account @ConvencionDem.
This July 4th, we celebrated our country's 240th anniversary. One of our hard-won freedoms is the right to vote and choose our leaders. As the Republican National Convention concludes in Cleveland and the Democratic National Convention gets underway in Philadelphia, it is a fitting time to encourage all eligible citizens to honor those who fought for our freedoms by voting this November. Whether you live in Pennsylvania or elsewhere, remember to register to vote before October 11 and then come out on Election Day, November 8. Should you be planning to cast your ballot absentee, be sure to look into the deadlines associated with applying for the absentee ballot and when it needs to be received. For more information, please visit votesPA.com.
On behalf of Governor Wolf and the great citizens of our state, Welcome to Pennsylvania! We are pleased and honored to host the 46th Democratic National Convention.