Commissioners Office

Philadelphia Commissioners Office

The City Commissioners office is responsible for overseeing the entire election process in Philadelphia. There are three commissioners, each serve a four year term and have a staff There are —— total workers in two city locations with an annual budget of 10.9 million dollars.

The traditional responsibilities of the office are:

  1. Overseeing the staffing and training of poll workers at 1,686 locations.
  2. Ensuring polling places are open at 7:00 am and closed at 8:00 pm
  3. Non partisan increase voter turnout

Additional responsibilities (as our team sees them):

  1. Protect voter rights and quickly address issues at polling places
  2. Educate ALL Philadelphians on the committee and ward structure
  3. Celebrate the wards/committees that are doing well with rewards and incentives.
  4. Support the others by sharing best practices and visiting them to assess their needs
  5. Encouraging civic minded Philadelphians to get involved thus providing Ward leaders with candidates for open committee positions.

Innovation moving forward sets us apart.

Philadelphia Commissioners Office, voting ballot

 

Design and implement a curriculum for Philadelphia elementary,  middle and high school students on how to be a “Philly” VOTER co-taught by current City Council members and Social Studies teachers. 

Work with a team of current and retired teaches to develop a public education campaign for the rollout of new election machines during the summer of 2019.

 

 

Our Top 10 Initiatives to increase voter turnout are:

  1. Philly Civics 101: Ten lesson high school program co-taught with City Council members
  2. Work with ALL wards. Celebrate those doing well and support those that have challenges.
  3. Provide sufficient resources in elections and ensure voting is accessible. (Mobile Vote Philly mobile). Help staff polls (Current teachers and retirees)
  4. Restore voting rights for formerly incarcerated people and provide voter education.
  5. Work with the Office of Adult Education’s less literate population.
  6. Encourage city offices and businesses to offer workers incentives to Vote Philly.
  7. Teachers can offer students incentives to vote and celebrate those that do.
  8. Lobby state legislators and county election boards to advocate for early voting, no-fault absentee voting and lowering the voting age to 17 or if you turn 18 by general election day you can vote in the previous primary.
  9. Create and have workers stationed at education kiosks across the city.
  10. Survey employees of the Commissioners Office for more ideas!