Do you know who you’re voting for? Do you know what offices are up for election? Do you even know when the next election day is?
For most of us, the answer to that question is “no.” As I thought about how little most of us know about how we choose our leaders, I realized I had to do something. I had to take this new tool that I’ve been working towards mastering (Notion) and combine it with my knowledge of local politics. I had to help myself understand the decisions I’ll be making in the voting booth, and I had to share that understanding with others.
What I’m working on (because this will always be a work in progress) is a collection of information on who is running for office and where each candidate stands on the issues. We can’t be suckered into voting based solely on identity or personality. This is especially true in a city like Philadelphia, where we can be duped into thinking all the candidates are the same because almost all of them come from the same political party. Having worked briefly in City Council, I know that’s far from the truth.
By the way, this is not my job, or even the only thing I do outside of my job, so you’ll have to bear with me as I slowly collect information here. I see this as a “helpful hobby” so your patience and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
I started this project ahead of the 2023 primary election and… well.. I got a little distracted. I’ve been reenergized by the recent (summer 2024) spate of deaths and serious injuries to to traffic violence, as well as some emotion-inducing encounters with some very rude and aggressive motorists. Thankfully, we’ve got a lot of time to collect information before our next batch of local elections. (By the way, that’s what this page is focused on: local elections. If you’re trying to figure out who to vote for in 2024, I highly recommend isidewith.com.)
City Council is Philadelphia’s legislative body. There are 17 council members. Of that group, 10 are district council members, representing specific geographic districts. The remaining seven are at-large members who are elected by the entire city. No political party is allowed to have more than five at-large members.
Currently, there are five at-large members from the Democratic Party, one from the Republican Party, and one from the Working Families Party.
Council district boundaries have been re-drawn to reflect the outcome of the 2020 census. You can find the new council district map here: https://app.districtbuilder.org/projects/16db0417-b2ce-4256-87c3-f6c2781eb9e6.
Voters may select no more than 10 candidates during the primary election.