Philadelphia voters could make history in a number of ways this coming election day. From the make-up of city council to the potential for Philadelphia to elect its first woman as mayor. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk explains how officials are preparing to make sure all votes are protected at the polls.
One way or another, after Tuesday's elections, Philadelphia will have a new mayor -- and City Council could look very different.
This week's elections will allow voters to decide who will sit in the seat atop Philadelphia government and the make up of City Council -- along with who will be named sheriff, city controller, and register of wills.
Outside of the city, Pennsylvania voters will get to elect a new justice to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
And, in New Jersey, voters will be able to participate in elections for every seat on the state's general assembly. That's 78 races -- 39 for state Senate and 39 in the state's Assembly.
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🗳️ But, before any candidates can claim victory, voters need to know what to do in order to do their civic duty on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023:
✅ When are polls open in Pennsylvania, New Jersey?
- Polling places throughout Pennsylvania are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
- In New Jersey, polls opened an hour earlier, with polls open at 6 a.m. through 8 p.m. statewide on Election Day.
In New Jersey, early voting was open from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5.
✅ Are you registered to vote?
Of course, you'll have to have already made sure you're registered to vote.
If you're planning to vote remotely, make sure you've received a mail ballot in Pennsylvania and drop it into a drop box.
✅ I'm registered as an independent. Can I vote on Tuesday?
Yes.
Unlike the primary elections, independent voters in Philadelphia, and throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey are able to participate in every election that impacts their voting district.
✅ Where is my polling place in Pennsylvania, New Jersey?
If you're planning to head to the polls, you need to know where your local polling place is.
Pennsylvania has set up an online tool to allow voters to easily figure out where their polling place is. Just put in your home address and you'll be told where you'll need to be to vote on Tuesday.
New Jersey also has a similar online portal to help connect voters with their polling places.
✅ Do I need to show ID at the polls?
Only first-time voters or voters who are voting in a new polling place for the first time need to show some form of identification in order to vote.
These voters can find the approved forms of identification needed, here.
But, if you've voted at your polling place in previous elections, you won't be asked to show ID. You will, however, need to sign a voter log.
✅ Can I still vote by mail?
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Pennsylvania passed on Oct. 31. Voters who have mail-in ballots have to make sure the ballots are returned to their local board of elections by 8 p.m. on Nov. 7.
That means it may be too late to just throw a mail-in or absentee ballot into the mail and expect it to be where it needs to be in time as postmarks aren't enough.
But, until 8 p.m. Tuesday, mail-in ballots can still be dropped off in drop boxes.
However, voters cannot submit mail-in ballots at their local polling places -- unless there is a ballot drop-off box there.
Click here for a list of mail-in ballot drop-off locations in Philadelphia.
If you need to find a drop-off location outside of the city, you can find a list of ballot drop-box locations for the rest of the state here and throughout New Jersey, here.
If you have a blank mail-in ballot and have decided that you'd rather vote in person, you can bring an unused ballot and mail-in envelopes to your local polling place to have them voided. Then, you may then vote in person.
✅ How is Election Day voting integrity being protected?
If you head to your local polling place and feel threatened or intimidated -- or if you see issues that you feel could interfere with a free and fair election process -- the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has set up an Election Task Force to help ensure there are no issues that could hamper Tuesday's elections.
Starting when the polls open, voters can report any concerns to the task force by calling 215–686–9641.
Officials said that the task force will work with City commissioners and law enforcement groups to investigate any reported violations of the Pennsylvania Election Code and other criminal activity at polling locations.
In New Jersey, the attorney general's office has set up a way for voters to report concerns at polling places, as well.
✅ Do you know who is on your ballot in Pennsylvania?
You'll need to know what is on your ballot and who you'll be able to vote for.
This week, in Philadelphia, the biggest race might be between two former city councilmembers hoping to be crowned as Mayor Jim Kenney's successor once the dust has settled.
Cherelle Parker, a Democrat with a long political history in Philadelphia, is most likely to be in line to be Philadelphia's 100th mayor.
The 51-year-old Parker, who also served for 10 years as a state representative for a district in northwest Philadelphia, would be the first woman to serve as the city's top executive.
Yet, there is still a chance that Republican David Oh could be elected -- even though there hasn't been a Republican in the mayor's office in seven decades.
Though Oh's win would be considered unlikely due to the 8-to-1 edge Democrats have over Republicans on the city's voter rolls.
But even if he were elected, Oh might have to deal with an unfriendly City Council, as voters could eliminate all Republicans from the body.
In City Council, voters will be able to decide contests for the city's 3rd and 10th councilmanic districts, as well as decide who will sit on at-large seats on council.
Voters will also be able to vote for candidates vying to be the Sheriff, City Controller, and the Register of Wills.
Along with these contests in Philadelphia, voters will also be able to determine who will fill an empty seat on the Pa. State Supreme Court -- which was vacated when former chief justice Max Baer died, just months before he planned to retire.
Here, voters will be able to choose to elect either Democrat Daniel McCaffery or Republican Carolyn Carluccio.
What races are on the line in the Garden State?
In New Jersey, there are 78 races as every seat on the state's general assembly is up for election.
However, as the democratic party is not expected to cede control of the legislature as the party has a 25-15 advantage in the state's Senate and a 46-34 lead in the General Assembly.
If you're unsure of what might be on your ballot, Vote411 -- a project of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters Education Fund -- has put together sample ballots for voters no matter where you live.
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