The ballot for the Nov. 4 election has not been set yet, but voters can apply now for mail-in ballots.
Elections commissioner Seth Bluestein said he expects the ballot to be finalized and printed during the week of Sept. 22, which he said is a typical timeline for a general election.
In Philadelphia, the big race is a rematch between District Attorney Larry Krasner and former Municipal Court President Judge Pat Dugan.
Krasner beat Dugan in the Democratic primary, with no Republican filing.
But Dugan received enough write-in votes among Republicans to have his name appear on the general election ballot. He’s hoping to keep his support among Democrats and add Republicans, independents and minor-party voters to his total to oust Krasner.
Also on the ballot, City Controller Christy Brady will face Republican Ari Patrinos.
The candidates for a seat on Superior Court are Democrat Brandon Neuman, Republican Maria Battista and Liberal Daniel Wassmer.
The candidates for a seat on Commonwealth Court will be Democrat Stella Tsai and Republican Matt Wolford.
Philadelphia voters will also choose candidates for Common Pleas Court, Municipal Court and judge and inspector of elections.
There will also be retention votes for judges of the state Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court.
Commissioner Lisa Deeley said three city judges will be leaving the bench, and their seats will be filled in the fall election. Two of those seats are on Common Pleas Court, and the other is on Municipal Court. Those candidates will receive the so-called “Golden Ticket” to the bench, meaning they won’t have to win a Democratic primary to be elected.
The deadline is midnight on Oct. 20 to register to vote.
The deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 28, to request a mail-in ballot.
To request a mail-in ballot, apply at https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/OnlineAbsenteeApplication/#/OnlineMailInBegin
Or, to mail in a ballot request, go to https://vote.phila.gov/files/absentee-ballot/mail_in_application.pdf to print the application.
Mail-in ballot applications are also available at satellite election offices. Local satellite elections offices are at 6420 Frankford Ave. in the Mayfair Shopping Center and 1619-81 Grant Ave. in Grant Plaza. Those offices are open weekdays.
“Mail-in ballots can be printed right on the spot,” Deeley said.
Completed mail-in ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on the day of the election.
They can be mailed to City Hall Room 142 or placed in drop boxes. For a list of local drop boxes, visit https://vote.phila.gov/about-us/satellite-election-offices/
“We want to do everything we can to get more people to participate,” Bluestein said.
Dugan is encouraging the use of mail-in ballots, citing the dreadful 16.61 percent turnout in the primary.
“Wake up and vote. Be a good citizen,” he said.
While Dugan won big in the primary in many Northeast wards – including 83 percent in the 66th – turnout wasn’t high.
Dugan said a lot of people complain, but stay home on election day. Having served in Iraq, he sees voting as a privilege.
“With a mail-in ballot, you can stay home and vote in the convenience of your home,” he said.
Deeley, too, is dismayed at low voter turnout. She hopes for higher turnout for an election for a district attorney who handles criminal justice matters and a city controller who oversees tax dollar allocation.
“This is a big-deal election,” she said.
Deeley also encourages voters to cast a choice in each race, not just the ones near the top of the ballot.
Meanwhile, Deeley said the commissioners are looking for poll workers, particularly from the Northeast. Poll workers can make up to $295, and they will be paid no later than three weeks after the election, in plenty of time for holiday spending money.
To sign up to be a poll worker, go to vote.phila.gov or call Deeley’s office at 215-686-3460. ••
