Ward election in Philly under protest after questionable voice vote

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Controversy over a voice vote in a Democratic Party ward has generated a battle between Democratic Party factions in Philadelphia.

Opponents of Councilmember Cindy Bass are not happy with her decision to declare herself winner of the 22nd Ward leader election following a voice vote this week.

The 22nd is one of 66 wards that the city is divided into. Each ward is further subdivided into smaller sections called divisions. Each ward has an elected party leader.

Bass has been a ward leader for years, but her actions following Monday’s voice vote might cost her that post. In a video provided to WHYY News by Octavius Price, who was running against Bass, the result of the voice vote seemed inconclusive. Despite calls from people in the crowd for a roll call vote to fully count who would win, Bass declared herself the winner and said there was no need for a roll call as requested.

“To be quite honest, I don’t remember hearing them ask for a role call vote,” Bass said Thursday. “Maybe they did. I just don’t remember at this time.”

Calls for a roll call vote are clearly audible in the video provided by Price. He refutes her claim that she didn’t hear the request for the vote because she wanted to avoid being elected out of her party office.

“There was only 48 people in the room. We counted 48 people in the room. And when we came in, there was 26 people who we had got confirmed votes for,” he said.

Price admits that his supporters weren’t as loud as Bass’ supporters, but he said that’s because they were in a Seventh Day Adventist Church and wanted to show reverence for the location.

If Price’s vote count was correct, he would have won the roll call vote 26-22.

Bass said she has definitive evidence and documentation showing she was the winner of the vote and plans to present it at a meeting of the Democratic City Committee on Sunday, when the committee that handles disputes like this will meet.

“We’ll be going with our certificates, with documentation, with what we need to prove that we have the votes,” she said. “We have the votes, and that’s the bottom line.”

If the committee rules against Bass, the ward leader position will be held in limbo until a new vote can be taken under the committee’s watchful eye to make a final determination in the matter.

Bass is currently one of the vice chairs of the Democratic City Committee. A vote for her position on the committee, as well as chairman of the party and other leadership posts will be held Monday.