On Nov. 7, Philadelphians will be able to vote in Pennsylvania’s 2023 municipal election for the city’s 100th mayor in addition to other offices like City Council, sheriff, city commissioner, city controller and register of wills. Philadelphia voters will also provide input on a ballot measure. There will be no federal matters to consider.
Voter turnout in Philadelphia is historically low in off-year elections, as only 18.4 percent of registered voters participated in the last municipal election in 2021. The elections can affect property taxes, the development of schools and buildings and other city priorities, according to the League of Women Voters.
Philadelphians must have been registered to vote by Oct. 23 to cast a ballot. Registration status can be checked on this page.
Election results can be tracked on the Philadelphia City Commissioner’s website, which will begin updating after 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Here’s how to cast a ballot:
IN-PERSON VOTING
Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. All voters in line by 8 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot.
Only first-time voters have to present identification. Any photo ID or non-photo ID that includes the voter’s name and address is valid.
Nearby polling stations can be found by entering a residential address on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s online search tool. There are 10 polling locations near Main Campus, from 9th St. to 18th St. and from Jefferson to West Dauphin Streets:
Bright Hope Baptist Church
1601 North 12th Street
Penrose Recreation Center
1101 West Susquehanna Avenue
General George G. Meade School
1600 North 18th Street
Ebenezer Temple Pentecostal Church
2259 North 10th Street
Amos Recreation Center
1817 North 16th Street
Beckett Life Center
1410 North 16th Street
Tanner Duckrey Public School
1501 West Diamond Street
Carver High School for Engineering and Science
1600 West Norris Street
North Philadelphia Seventh-day Adventist Church
1510 West Oxford Street
Yorktown Arms
1300 West Jefferson Avenue
MAIL-IN VOTING
Any voter can request a mail-in ballot, which doesn’t require a listed reason. To request an absentee ballot, voters will need to list a reason, like disability or travel, if they are physically unable to make it to an in-person polling location.
Those who want to vote through mail-in or absentee ballots should apply online through Pennsylvania Voter Services or by mail to the Philadelphia County Board of Elections. The completed application must be received by the county office by 5 p.m. on Oct. 31.
Valid identification is required for the application, which can be a Pennsylvania driver’s license, a photo I.D. from the state’s Department of Transportation or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number.
Only the voter can receive or drop off their ballot in person to ensure no one attempts to vote more than once with another person’s ballot. In cases of illness or physical disability, a representative of the voter needs to provide a signed designation of agent form.
After Oct. 31, emergency absentee ballots can be requested in situations of sudden illness or disability.
Mail-in and absentee ballots must be returned to a ballot drop-off box, the county election board or by mail by 8 p.m. on Nov. 7. Nearby ballot drop-off boxes can be found on the City of Philadelphia’s website, and the closest box to campus is located at the Shissler Recreation Center on 1800 Blair Street.
Mail-in and absentee ballots can be tracked online after being dropped off.
Ballots will be processed and counted starting at 7 a.m. on Election Day, with the last overseas and military absentee ballots being received by Nov. 14.
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