Philadelphia residents will have a voice in their elected leadership in less than two weeks, on Tuesday May 17th, 2022. Get ready to go to the polls and help select the next leadership of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia! Here is some basic information about the election process to help you participate, and make sure your voice is part of the process.
The last day to register for the primary election was Monday May 2nd. If you missed this date, take this opportunity to register for the general election in November. Don’t wait until the last minute and risk missing the opportunity again – you can register for the general election anytime between May 18th and October 24th. The general election will be held on Tuesday November 8th. To register to vote, visit www.pavoterservices.pa.gov for registration applications and further instructions.
The last day to request an absentee or mail-in ballot is Tuesday May 10th. If you can’t go to your polling place in person on May 17th, request a mail-in ballot today! There are two separate forms for absentee and mail-in ballot applications, also found at www.pavoterservices.pa.gov. The difference between the two is simple – choose an absentee ballot if you will be traveling outside your home jurisdiction at the time of the primary election; choose a mail-in ballot if you simply will not be able to physically go to the polls on election day and prefer to cast your votes by mail.
If you will be able to go to the polls in person on primary election day, make a plan in advance. The polls will be open from 7:00am to 8:00pm. Anyone who is standing in line by 8:00pm will be allowed to vote – even if you will not be able to get inside the polling place until after 8:00pm. Find your polling place in advance, to plan your route and transportation. The nonpartisan advocacy groups The Committee of Seventy has thorough and user-friendly information at www.seventy.org, including an online tool for finding your polling place. The Committee of Seventy provides information not only for Pennsylvania, but for New Jersey and Delaware as well.
Read up on the elected offices and candidates who will be on the ballot for the primaries. This year, Pennsylvanians will select a new Governor, following Governor Wolf’s two terms and eight years in office. PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro is the only Democratic candidate to replace Governor Wolf, while the Republican field has nine hopeful candidates who are vying with each other to be selected as the Republican nominee.
Several people are running to replace retiring Senator Pat Toomey, who served in the Senate as a Republican for twelve years (two six-year terms).
On the Democratic side, candidates include John Fetterman, former Mayor of Braddock, PA for thirteen years and Lieutenant Governor to Gov. Wolf for three years; Malcolm Kenyatta, Representative of the 181st District in the PA House of Representatives since 2019; Alexandria Khalil, a daughter of Palestinian-Muslim immigrants and Councilor on Jenkintown Borough Council; and Conor Lamb, US Representative in Congress for the 17th District since 2018.
On the Republican side, candidates include Kathy Barnette, an author, military veteran and former corporate executive; Jeff Bartos, a corporate executive and business owner who was a Republican nominee for Lt. Governor in 2018; George Bochetto, an attorney and former State Boxing Commissioner; Sean Gale, a business and healthcare attorney; David McCormick, a West Point graduate and military veteran who has also served as the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security and Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economic Policy; Mehmet Oz, celebrity surgeon and television personality; and Carla Sands, Trump-administration US Ambassador to Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.
These candidates have diverse and interesting backgrounds and political positions, and the information about them is readily available via the simplest of internet searches. Learn more about any one of them from their own campaign websites and other news coverage of their accomplishments and policy platforms. Many other offices will take the first step toward new elected leadership on May 17th, including US Congressional seats and State-level Senate and House of Representatives. Don’t miss the chance to help decide who will represent and serve YOU in the coming years!
Information is widely available at www.ballotopedia.com, www.philadelphiavotes.com, www.pavoterservices.pa.gov, and many other sources.
