Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Important Info For Philly Voters Today


Here's an important message from Philadelphia's election watchdog, the Committee of Seventy:

Before you head to the polls today (open 7 am to 8 pm), check out the responses by mayoral and City Council candidates to the Committee of Seventy's Integrity Agenda. We asked them detailed questions about various issues around campaign finance, government ethics and transparency, and the good news is that all the mayoral candidates (except T. Milton Street) responded. Check out the candidates' individual responses and Seventy's 2015 Integrity Scorecard.

As for Council candidates, here's the bad news: only three of the 12 Democratic incumbents (W. Wilson Goode Jr., Kenyatta Johnson and Maria Quiñones-Sánchez) responded, while 11 of the 15 Democratic challengers did. Take a look at the City Council Scorecard before voting.

Republican Council candidates---incumbents and challengers alike---did better: seven of nine.

And if you haven't already...
Today's ballot could be bewildering, with more than 100 candidates running for a bunch of offices, including Philly Mayor and City Council, an unprecedented three open seats on the PA Supreme Court, 15 local judgeships, the City Commissioners (the folks who oversee elections in the city) and more. Study the candidates before getting to the polls.

Remember, these races are primaries. You must be registered as a Democrat or a Republican to vote in that party's primary.

But all voters in Philly can vote "Yes" or "No" on the four Ballot Questions. Check out our How Philly Works overview.

And voters in Northeast Philadelphia's 5th State Senate District will select a successor to new Lt. Gov. Mike Stack in a Special Election Tuesday. This is not a primary. All registered voters in the 5th District may take part. Find out if you live in the 5th District; then get the rundown.

Want more info about the candidates (including who endorsed them and gave them money)? Check out the nifty new website CROWDPAC to study up and put together your ballot!

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