Philly official urged to rebut report he has’t voted in years — or not seek re-election

The government watchdog Committee of Seventy is calling on Philadelphia City Commissioner Anthony Clark not to seek re-election next year if he can’t rebut a news report that he has failed to vote for nearly three years.

Clark is the chairman of the board that oversees elections in Philly.

Ellen Kaplan, interim CEO of the Committee of Seventy, said Clark is setting a bad example at a time when voter turnout is historically low. About 19 percent of city voters came out to the polls in the May primary election.

“For the head of the City Commissioners not to go out and vote himself,” said Kaplan,” sends a very strong message to people: Why vote? And that is not the message that should come from somebody who heads up the elections board in this town.”

Kaplan said Seventy, which has tussled with the City Commissioners office for several years and called for its abolition, has never before urged an official to not seek another term.

The Philadelphia City Paper reported that Clark has not voted since the general election in November 2011. Clark did not respond to requests for comment.