Some very important races in Philadelphia today will be decided by very few. Polls opened at 7 a.m. but not as many people will exercise their right to vote, as they did back in November. This is a typical voting pattern for major state or federal races in an off-year, according to the Associated Press .
"Turnout is directly proportionate to the interest which voters have in the outcome," Terry Madonna, a professor and pollster at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, told the AP.
The two hotly contested races are the battle for District Attorney and City Controller.
Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham decided to step down after holding office since 1991.
Vying for her spot are five former assistant prosecutors. The front-runner in the D.A. race is Seth Williams according to the AP. Dan McCaffery, Brian Grady, Daniel P. McElhatton, and Michael L. Turner are also hoping to take the top spot. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Michael W. Untermeyer, who is running uncontested.
The other race Philadelphians are watching is for City Controller. Incumbent Alan L. Butkovitz is being challenged by fellow democrats Brett Mandel and John L. Braxton. The winner faces Republican Al Schmidt in the fall, who is also unopposed.
Philadelphians also cast ballots for judges for Municipal Court, Common Pleas Court, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, Pennsylvania Superior Court and Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
As for charter ballot questions in Philadelphia, there are two this year.
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The first is the argument of posthumous promotion to the next rank for any police officer, firefighter, or paramedic who dies in the line of duty. This is important because it would change benefits received by a spouse or survivor of the deceased, since benefits are calculated according to rank.
The other question deals with allowing the city to use alternatives to newspapers when posting legally-required public notices.
If you're heading to the polls don't be surprised to see lots of election monitors. In April 2007, the Justice Department reached a settlement agreement with Philadelphia related to allegations that the city had violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act. Monitors put in place by The U.S. Department of Justice will help make sure everyone plays by the rules and report any concerns or possible voting rights violations.
To find your polling place go to the Philly Election Web site, the state's site or the Committee of Seventy's Web site . You can also call the City Commissioners at 215-686-1590.
Polls close at 8 p.m. You will be allowed to vote if you are in line by that time.
If you have a complaint about voting in the city, call the District Attorney's Office at 215-686-9641 or the City Commissioners at 215-686-1590. If you have questions about voting, call the Committee of Seventy at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
