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To: Philadelphia City Commissioners
Philly City Commissioners: Make elections free and fair now
As City Commissioners, you have the power and the responsibility to ensure free and fair elections in Philadelphia. This work has never been more important than now. We are calling on you to address two urgent demands concerning Philadelphia's November elections.
First, we demand transparency and accountability. We want the public meetings, suspended in June, to be reinstated now, allowing for open, good-faith collaboration with the public. These meetings should:
* Be posted in advance with a stated purpose
* Occur weekly
* Answer every question unless answer is not yet available or public
* Be posted afterward as recording and/or minutes
Second, we demand a clear and comprehensive election plan. The pandemic created numerous challenges in the primary elections that need answers now. We understand that this plan may change in response to the evolving political and public health environment. It should include:
* A clear strategy to increase accessibility of paper mail-in ballot applications
* An accurate current picture of polling place closures in light of COVID
* A training plan that equips poll workers and election staff to perform their duties
* An outreach strategy to inform the public about voting as early as possible, including targeted outreach to communities with limited internet access
* Clear, written policies that govern ballot counting and duplication processes
* Guidelines to ensure the health and safety of poll workers and voters alike
We demand that you address these urgent concerns by September 1st at the latest to allow civic organizations, ward leaders, constituents, and elected officials to adequately prepare for the November election.
Why is this important?
First, transparency and accountability from the City Commissioner’s office is critical to ensuring free and fair elections. As elected officials, the City Commissioners must act in good faith and engage in open dialogue with constituents so that we can ensure safe, secure, and equal access to the ballot box. Otherwise, our elections and our democracy will be at risk.
Second, a clear plan is needed to address problems that arose in the primary election. From mail-in ballot accessibility to insecure ballot counting, these issues threaten the integrity of our elections: they have the potential to disenfranchise thousands of voters, cast doubt upon our election’s validity, and expose our results to lawsuits. But the City Commissioners have the power to solve them. To do that, they need to act now.
All eyes will be on PA this November and, as a result, on Philly. Our health and our votes are at stake if action is not taken starting now.