In an off-year election like 2021, voters can't be blamed for needing a little help navigating the ballot.
Here are highlights from across the Philadelphia region and how you can find your polling place and a sample ballot to look over, depending on where you live.
Where Is My Polling Place? What Will Be on the Nov. 2 Ballot Where I Live?
If you're unsure of where to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, here are "polling place locators" that are easy to use in each state. Click on the state below to find your voting location:
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New Jersey and Pennsylvania have statewide offices on the ballot this year in addition to many municipal offices like mayor and local council. Many counties offer sample ballots for voters to view ahead of the election. Here are sample ballots for Philadelphia and its adjacent suburban counties:
In New Jersey, each county offers sample ballots on their websites for residents. Online voting site, Ballotpedia, also offers voters an easy way to look up their ballot by simply entering an address. That can be found HERE.
Who Is Running for New Jersey Governor Against Phil Murphy?
Incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy is attempting to become the first Democrat to win re-election as New Jersey governor since former Gov. Brendan Byrne did it in 1977. He faces Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, in a race that as usual for the Garden State revolves around property taxes and the economy.
The race has tightened slightly, as it usually does in New Jersey, but Murphy held a commanding lead in two statewide polls released last week. The variable in the race? 1 in 3 registered voters in New Jersey are unaffiliated with political parties, though registered Democrats do outnumber Republicans by about 1 million.
Who Is Running for Philly DA Against Larry Krasner?
One of the darlings of the Democratic Party's progressive wing, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, will face Republican challenger Charles Peruto Jr. in the only citywide race on the ballot.
Krasner easily won the Democratic primary earlier this year, despite staunch opposition from the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police union. In a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-to-1, Krasner is expected to win even without a large voter turnout.
Still, Philadelphia voters shouldn't stay on the sidelines in this off-year election as four important ballot questions are also on city ballots. HERE is a primer on those questions.
Who Is Running for Pennsylvania Supreme Court?
One of the seven seats on Pennsylvania's highest state court is open, with the retirement of a justice this year. Judicial elections in Pennsylvania are partisan, which means that candidates are affiliated with political parties.
Republican Kevin Brobson and Democrat Marie McLaughlin, both lower court judges in Pennsylvania, are seeking to replace the retiring Republican justice. Both have raised a good chunk of money and have had their campaigns aided with advertising bought by outside groups.
The high court has in recent years taken on huge voters' rights issues, including important rulings on mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election and a redistricting decision before the last congressional midterm election in 2018.
The political makeup of the court is currently five Democrats and two Republicans, including the retiring Republican justice. That means that it will remain a Demcratic majority whether Brobson or McLaughlin win.
What Are Other Important Races in NJ & Pennsylvania on Nov. 2 Election Day?
Municipal elections, meaning races for mayor, local councils and school boards, are also on ballots across the Philadelphia region. There are also some special elections for vacant state legislative seats in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The 2021 election, while lacking the national firepower of next year's congressional midterms, is still an important chance for all voters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware to determine the politics of their communities and states.
