The 2019 Philadelphia Municipal Primary Election will be held on May 21, 2019!

You might be asking yourself—why are local elections are important?

The thing is, local elections are very important. The candidates, the offices they will hold, and the issues on the ballot all directly impact the lives of Philadelphians more than any other level of government.

There is a lot of focus on the upcoming 2020 presidential election and other federal races—and rightly so—but with our local primaries you have a chance to make a difference right now. It is everyone’s duty to hold our local officials accountable and bring change from the ground up.

Historically, many of our country’s policies and laws started at a local level. Things like minimum wage and women’s suffrage all came about through local movements that influenced the federal government.

So how can you get involved?

Make sure you’re registered to vote.

The voter registration deadline for Philadelphia’s Municipal Primary Elections is April 22. You can make sure you’re registered or get yourself registered online through the City Commissioner’s website.

This year’s Municipal Primary Election is a big one, with many offices and issues on the ballot. Registered Republicans and Democrats will be voting to select their candidates for:

• City Council.
• Register of Wills.
• City Commissioner.
• Judgeships on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court.

On top of that, there are significant ballot issues that affect all Philadelphians. You do not need to be a registered Republican or Democrat to vote on ballot issues. 

Issues on the ballot will be:

• Creating a new class of public-safety officer, known as the Public-Safety Enforcement Officer.
• Making the Office of Immigrant Affairs a permanent part of City government.
• Removing gender-specific language from the City Charter.
• Calling on our state legislature to raise the PA minimum wage.

There are a lot of candidates and issues to learn about before you head to the polls. Luckily there are great non-partisan resources available to guide you on who’s running and their positions.

The Philadelphia City Commissioner’s website is the place to get yourself registered, find where your polling place is, learn who your elected officials are, and much more.

The Committee of Seventy is another great nonpartisan resource to get informed about local candidates and their views. You can use the Ballot tool to find out who’s running in your area and their positions, as well as details about your polling location.

It’s more important than ever to make sure we as Philadelphians are heard, so our city can set an example for the rest of the nation. See you at the polls on May 21!