Philadelphia launches new election website ahead of November midterms

The Philadelphia City Commissioners’ office has launched a new election website to make the process a smoother one for those either voting or running for office.

Lisa Deeley, who heads up the commissioners’ office, touted an improved mobile user experience and multi-language capabilities, with website translation available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

“The old [site] served a wonderful purpose, and I think the public appreciated it,” Deeley said. “But we now have transferred over to a .gov, which is much more secure and more trusted than a .com.”

Also available on Vote.Phila.Gov: all the forms one could need to both vote in elections to run for office.

“People can find out pretty much everything there is to know about voting or working the polls,” Deeley said. That includes information on voter registration, vote-by-mail, and polling locations.

The commissioners have eliminated much of the traditional paperwork required to run for office in recent years. The campaign filing process has, for the most part, moved online, with campaign finance information easier for the public to access.

Deeley said the process for candidates should be a simpler one moving forward.

“They’ll be able to create their nomination petitions, nomination papers, and their campaign finance information. They can find all the information they’ll need to run for office,” she said.

The new election site could come in handy next year.

Since Philadelphia elected officials have to resign their current office to run for a new one, up to five City Council seats could soon open up.

Councilmember Alan Domb has already resigned and is expected to announce his mayoral candidacy soon.

Voter info & resources

• Check to see if you are registered to vote
• Register to vote
• View a sample ballot based on your address
• Sign up to become a poll worker
• Find your polling place
• Apply for a mail ballot
• Apply for an absentee ballot
• Check the status of your mail or absentee ballot