The Committee of Seventy is always looking for ways to improve the way elections are conducted in Philadelphia and beyond. Our
Voter Protection Program sends an army of volunteers onto the streets on Election Day to monitor polling places. Our
Election Day hotline (1-866-OUR-VOTE) collects complaints and answers questions. And
our Citizen's Guide provides information and resources to voters and elected officials alike to explain the sometimes obscure process of electing our leaders.
These resources give us a unique insight into the problems and challenges of running elections in Philadelphia. We are a clearinghouse for information on state and city election laws, and the people who run the elections themselves, perform as area voters exercise their democratic rights.
Following the 2011 General Election we reminded the incoming City Commissioners – incumbent Commissioner Anthony Clark and Commissioners-Elect Stephanie Singer and Al Schmidt – that city voters have high expectations of a new era of unprecedented openness, transparency and accountability in the elections office. Seventy urged the Commissioners to get a running start on reforms before their January inauguration.
Reform Agenda for 2011 City Commissioners Candidates
In advance of the November 8 General Election, the non-partisan Committee of Seventy issued a "2011 Reform Agenda" to candidates running for City Commissioners. The agenda asked candidates to let voters know where they stand on reforms to improve the administration of local elections and increase trust and transparency in the office. You can read Seventy's 19
proposed reforms and the
responses from the candidates.
Following on our report from the 2010 Primary, Seventy looks at what has
(and mostly hasn't) improved in the conduct of Philadelphia's
elections. We repeat and expand upon our earlier recommendations and
look at some of the persistent issues that cropped up on Election Day,
Nov. 2.
Our June 2010 report to the City Commissioners, the board that runs Philadelphia elections, outlines five common-sense steps that the Commissioners can take to improve local elections without having to rely on changes in state law. The suggestions are based in part on our experience in observing the primary election on May 18, 2010.
We outline why we think the archaic elected City Commissioner system should be eliminated in favor of a professionalized, appointed Elections Board. PICA, the state agency that oversees Philadelphia's budget,
agreed with our conclusions in a report in November of 2009.
Past Election Day Reports
Collected here are copies of some recent reports to
City Commissioners, based on our observations in running our
Voter Protection Program.
The Election Process in Philadelphia: A study with recommendations
Think some things never change? Check out
our 1979 report on the woeful state of elections in Philadelphia, conducted along with the DA, City Controller, and The Greater Philadelphia Partnership. You may be surprised by how much things have improved - and how much things have stayed exactly the same.