Progressive Turnout Project (PTP) is a left-of-center political action committee based in Chicago, Illinois that supports Democratic Party candidates for public office. The main goal of the organization is to increase voter turnout for Democratic candidates. PTP focuses primarily on direct contact with potential voters, such as through handwritten postcards written by volunteers. However, the group has received criticism for its “social pressure” tactics, such as “voter report cards” that were used in the 2024 elections. ^{1 2 3}

Progressive Turnout Project is the name of a hybrid PAC and a 527 organization; the organizations are both located in Chicago and list Harry Pascal as a key figure. ^{4 5 1}

Background

Progressive Turnout Project is a left-of-center political action committee that claims to emphasize campaigning through direct interaction with potential voters. As such, the group claims to not spend money on television ads or similar tactics but uses handwritten postcards instead. ¹

Progressive Turnout Project is the name of a hybrid PAC and a 527 organization; the organizations are both located in Chicago and list Harry Pascal as a key figure. ^{4 5 1}

As of 2025, PTP claims that it has raised over $368 million, reached over 190 million potential voters, and supported over 2,227 Democrats. ¹

PTP claimed the Stop These Oppressive People: Tyrants, Racists, Unqualifieds, Misogynists, Propagandists (STOP TRUMP) PAC as an affiliated group on FEC filings. The STOP TRUMP PAC claimed it was “laser-focused on one goal: destroying Trump’s campaign for President,” ending President Donald Trump’s “political career for good.” The PAC claimed its methods would boost voter turnout by 10%, sharing similar strategies to PTP. ^{6 7}

Other affiliated PACs include “Stop Republicans, Turnout the Vote, and Dem Turnout 2026.” ⁶

In 2024, PTP received attention after it was revealed that Thomas Crooks, an attempted assassin of President Trump, had donated $15 to PTP via ActBlue, according to the New York Times. ⁸

As of July 2025, PTP claimed to be targeting 651 races in the 2026 election cycle. PTP stated its focus is on statewide programs in “Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.” ¹

Activities

Progressive Turnout Project claims to use personalized forms of campaigning. PTP claims to emphasize its efforts to send handwritten postcards to swing state voters, door-to-door canvassing, and its “campaign fellows” program. ¹

The tag line of PTP’s postcard program is “Save Democracy, Write Postcards.” The program works primarily through volunteers; PTP sends postcards, pre-tested messages, and a list of undecided voters to those who sign up for the program. PTP claims that the program has sent a total of 84 million postcards and that these efforts in 2024 contributed to an increase in 200,000 voters; PTP further claims that the program has had over 400,000 volunteers since its inception in 2020. Overall, PTP alleges that the program increases voter turnout by 1% in competitive races. ^{9 10}

PTP claims that its door-to-door campaign efforts prioritize rural and “exurban” areas; according to PTP’s claims, in 2022 over 90% of the potential voters they contacted had not been reached by other campaigns. ¹

The “campaign fellows” program is aimed at providing a full-time staffer to support down-ballot campaigns. PTP claims the goal of the program is to boost these campaigns and train up-and-coming political operatives through a “Democratic talent pipeline.” ¹

In 2024, PTP drew attention from some local media alongside the Center for Voter Information for sending out “voting report cards.” In 2022, PTP used similar “social pressure” tactics to get out the vote; the group sent mailers that allegedly contained phrases such as “Who you vote for is private, but whether you vote is public record,” to potential voters, according to Spotlight PA. ^{11 3}

Leadership

Harry Pascal is the founder of Progressive Turnout Project. He previously worked as a self-employed CPA, and as a treasurer for the campaigns of Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Dan Seals, an Illinois Democrat who was defeated by Republican candidates in 2006, 2008, and 2010. ¹²

Alex Morgan is the executive director of Progressive Turnout Project. He previously worked as an organizer for Sierra Club, one of the largest left-leaning environmentalist organizations in the United States. He also worked as a field director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and as a state coordinator for Obama for America during President Obama’s original 2008 election campaign.¹³

Reid McCollum is the program outreach director at PTP. He co-founded the “Postcards to Swing States” program in 2019 which was later incorporated into PTP’s operations. ¹⁴

Funding

The Progressive Turnout Project raised over $90 million in the 2024 election cycle. Some of the largest funders to the PAC included DEM Turnout 2024 which gave $2,500,000, the Advocacy Action Fund which gave $1,000,000, the Green Advocacy Project which gave $150,000, and Progressive Turnout Project 527 Committee which gave $386,747.46. ¹⁵

PTP had a total of over $83 million in disbursements. Most of this spending was in “other federal operating expenditures,” which according to FEC data totaled $69,272,902. As for independent expenditures, PTP spent over $2.8 million in support of then-Vice President Kamala Harris, and $20,000 against President Donald Trump. ¹⁶

In 2025, Progressive Turnout Project announced that it was committing $1.2 million toward the Wisconsin state Supreme Court election in order “to rally Democrats to vote for Judge Susan Crawford.” ¹⁷

1. “Progressive Turnout Project.” Progressive Turnout Project, June 24, 2025. https://turnoutpac.org/.
2. Mason, Anastasia. “Groups Send ‘voter Report Card’ Mailers Saying They Will Check If You Vote.” Statesman Journal, November 5, 2024. https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/05/voter-report-card-mail-neighbors-who-voted/76049988007/.
3. Coston, Ethan Edward. “Unmarked Postcards Sent to Pennsylvanians Tell Them ‘Whether You Vote Is Public Record.’” Spotlight PA, June 4, 2024. https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2022/05/pa-primary-2022-postcard-social-pressure-campaign/.
4. Talbot, Ruth, Brandon Roberts, and Nat Lash. “Progressive Turnout Project – 527 Explorer.” ProPublica, April 29, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/orgs/474414152.
5. “Progressive Turnout Project – Committee Overview.” FEC.gov. Accessed July 7, 2025. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00580068/.
6. “STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION.” FEC, March 23, 2025. https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/312/202503239754470312/202503239754470312.pdf.
7. “Stop Trump.” Stop Donald Trump, December 11, 2024. https://stopdonaldtrump.org/.
8. Robertson, Campbell, Jack Healy, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, and Glenn Thrush. “Here’s What Is Known About the Suspect Who Tried to Assassinate Trump.” New York Times, September 18, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/14/us/politics/trump-gunman-thomas-crooks.html.
9. ^[1] “Progressive Turnout Project.” Progressive Turnout Project, June 24, 2025. https://turnoutpac.org/.
10. “Postcards.” Progressive Turnout Project, June 29, 2025. https://turnoutpac.org/postcards/.
11. ^[1] Mason, Anastasia. “Groups Send ‘voter Report Card’ Mailers Saying They Will Check If You Vote.” Statesman Journal, November 5, 2024. https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/05/voter-report-card-mail-neighbors-who-voted/76049988007/.
12. “User Profile: Harry Pascal.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed May 11, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-pascal-6908b7b/.
13. “User Profile: Alex Morgan.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed May 11, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandermorgan/
14. “Team.” Progressive Turnout Project, May 28, 2025. https://turnoutpac.org/team/.
15. ^[1] “Progressive Turnout Project – Committee Overview.” FEC.gov. Accessed July 7, 2025. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00580068/.
16. “Progressive Turnout Project – Committee Overview.” FEC.gov. Accessed July 7, 2025. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00580068/?tab=spending&cycle=2024.
17. WordPress. “PTP Invests $1.2 Million to Rally Democrats to Vote in Wisconsin Supreme Court Election.” Progressive Turnout Project, May 16, 2025. https://turnoutpac.org/ptp-invests-1-2-million-to-rally-democrats-to-vote-in-wisconsin-supreme-court-election/