City of Philadelphia issued the following statement on Sep. 8
General election mail-in ballot guide for Philadelphia voters
About the 2020 general election
The 2020 general election is a presidential election, which occurs every four years. This guide includes important information about the election, how you can participate, and your options for voting by mail.
- - Important dates
- - On the ballot: Candidates
- - On the ballot: Questions
- - Contact information for local election offices
Please register to vote, apply to vote by mail, and turn in your mail-in ballot as early as possible.
While the mail-in ballot process is secure, you shouldn’t wait until the final deadlines to apply for and return your ballot.
October 2020
October 19
Last day to register to vote in the general election
October 27
The Philadelphia County Board of Elections must receive your application for a mail-in ballot by 5 p.m.
November 2020
November 03
General election
The Philadelphia County Board of Elections must receive your completed mail-in ballot by 8 p.m.
Some election-related dates could change. You can confirm the deadlines by visiting philadelphiavotes.com or contacting the Philadelphia County Board of Elections at (215) 686-3469.
On the ballot: Candidates
You’ll select a candidate for these offices.
- President of the United States, who’s the head of government and the commander in chief of the armed forces.
- Attorney General of Pennsylvania, who’s the state’s top law enforcement official.
- Pennsylvania Auditor General, who ensures the state’s money is spent legally.
- Pennsylvania Treasurer, who manages and invests the state’s money.
- Pennsylvania State Senators, who are members of the upper chamber of state government in Harrisburg. The state’s 50 senators pass laws and the state budget, and confirm nominations by the governor.
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives, who are members of the lower chamber of state government in Harrisburg. The state’s 203 representatives pass laws and the state budget.
There will be four questions on the ballot. For each question, you can vote “yes” or “no.”
If you vote “yes” to the ballot questions one, two, and three, it means you want to change the City of Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter. The Charter sets the rules for City government.
Below are summaries of the ballot questions in the order they’ll appear on your ballot.
1. Stop and frisk
If you vote “yes,” you want the Philadelphia Police Department to end the practice of unconstitutional stop and frisk. That means that a police officer could not stop someone because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religious affiliation or expression, or other protected characteristics. Rather, the officer must have reasonable suspicion that the person is engaged in criminal activity.
2. Office of the Victim Advocate
If you vote “yes,” you want the City to create an office that would advocate for the rights of crime victims.
3. Citizens Police Oversight Commission
If you vote “yes,” you want the City to create a Citizens Police Oversight Commission as a permanent part of City government. The commission would work to improve police officer conduct and hold the Philadelphia Police Department accountable for officers’ actions.
4. Borrowing money
If you vote “yes,” you want the City of Philadelphia to borrow $134 million to spend on:
- Transit.
- Streets and sanitation.
- Municipal buildings.
- Parks and recreation.
- Museums.
- Economic and community development.
You can find information about elections and voting in Philadelphia at philadelphiavotes.com. If you registered to vote in another Pennsylvania county, you can find your local election office at votesPA.com.
Philadelphia County Board of Elections
If you have questions about the general election, contact the Philadelphia County Board of Elections at (215) 686-3469. Interpretation services are available.
Philadelphia Voter Registration Office
If you have questions about registering to vote or confirming your voter registration, contact the Philadelphia Voter Registration Office at (215) 686-1591. Interpretation services are available.
Philadelphia City Commissioners
You can also contact the Philadelphia City Commissioners. The three commissioners are the elected officials in charge of elections and voter registration in Philadelphia. Go to philadelphiavotes.com to learn more.
Original source can be found here.
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