News

Election Update From The City Commissioners' Meeting

03/10/2010

With Crowded Ballots It’s Location, Location, Location

With challenges for U.S. Senate and Representative, Governor, State Representative, State Committee, Ward executive committee and the possibility of five Philadelphia Ballot Questions, the May 18th ballot will be one of the most crowded ballots the City has seen in years. Compounding this is the State Democratic Committee decision that State Committee people will run at-large rather than by senate district. State committee people have run by Senate district since 1976, the Commissioners reported that this change could put up to 30 additional positions onto an already crowded ballot.

With so much on the ballot, candidates' ballot placement becomes critical. Candidates for Ward Executive Committee will have the opportunity to draw for their ballot position prior to the City Commissioners’ meeting on Wednesday March 17th. The meeting and drawing will be held in the City Commissioners’ hearing room at 520 North Delaware Avenue on the 6th Floor.

May Primary On Track To Be An Expensive One

The heavy competition on May 18th will likely lead to a full-ballot for each party’s primary, which may make this election a costly one. The City Commissioners are preparing to borrow an additional 400 – 500 voting machines so machines for the May primary can be party-specific in order to fit everything on to the ballot. According to John Day, Supervisor of the City’s voting machine warehouse, this means extra cost for transport, storage maintence and outfitting of the additional machines. City Commissioner Chairwoman estimates the additional machines to cost at least an additional $500,000.

In addition to the cost for extra machines, Voter Registration Administrator Bob Lee said that the City will be paying an additional $78,000 to publish real-time online election results. Add to that the cost of 10,000 doorstops and 40 door mats that will be purchased to comply with federal orders to improve handicapped accessibility at Philadelphia polling places, and you’re looking at one expensive primary election.

With Petitions In, Challenges Begin

The deadline to file nomination petitions to run as a Democrat or Republican in the May 18th primary election was Tuesday, March 9th. Already, candidates have begun collecting information to file challenges to their opponents’ documents. One candidate for State Representative in the 181st District was already seen in the Voter Registration office pouring over signatures on his opponent's – incumbent State Representative Curtis Thomas – nomination petitions.

Challenges to nomination petitions in the Ward Executive Committee races will be heard on Friday March 19th, Monday March 22th and Tuesday March 23rd in the City Commissioners’ hearing room at 520 North Delaware Avenue, 6th Floor. Candidates facing a challenge to his or her petitions will be notified prior to the scheduled hearing. The last time Ward Executive Committee was on the ballot, in 2006, the Court heard 410 challenges. With the largest number of candidates in recent memory, even more challenges are anticipated this year.

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