- Pennsylvania Among 'Terrible 10' Most Regressive Tax States
- February 4 Non-Partisan Training: HOW TO RUN FOR ELECTION BOARD IN 2013: HOW TO RUN FOR COMMITTEEPERSON IN 2014
- Republican Governors Opt-In to Medicaid Expansion
- The Reports of Unions' Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
- Ask Allyson Schwartz to run for Governor
- Mind the gap: Opting Out of Medicaid Expansion Leaves Low-income Families Behind
- Jan. 14 Workshop:HOW TO RUN FOR ELECTION BOARD IN 2013; HOW TO RUN FOR COMMITTEEPERSON IN 2014
- Seth Williams on Guns, Jasmine Rivera on School Closures @PFC Meetup Wednesday
- PA Revenue Strong Midway Through Year; Tax Cut Could Have Big Impact
- What to Make of the Fiscal Cliff Deal?
Attention Stephanie Singer
Submitted by Ray Murphy on Wed, 05/18/2011 - 2:19pm.
One of the most exciting things that happened during yesterday's election was Stephanie Singer's victory for City Commissioner. And the defeat of Marge Tartaglione.
This seems like a good time to pull up this 2007 post I wrote about Marge and the changes that I think should be made at the City Commissioner's office. Maybe they will happen now.
Better voting systems and procedures can't undo apathy and cynicism about local politics, but they can help increase turnout by making it much easier to vote. And more radical interventions, like lobbying the state to allow early vote, vote by mail and same day registration, could really increase turnout in municipal elections (this at least been the experience in Oregon which votes entirely by mail).
And honestly, the election of local leaders should not be so closely tied up with the weather.
I just re-read the thread that followed Ray's 2007 post
It is well worth reading, partly for the intelligent disagreement with Ray's views and alos because, by the end, I think it is pretty clear that:
1. Encouraging turnout is part of the responsibility of the Commissioner's office.
2. There is much the Commissioner's office can do to encourage turnout and, since we are paying for those office holders, we might as well get our money's worth.
3. Increasing turnout is good for both democracy and Democrats.
One point of contention had to do with whether non-partisan turnout efforts of the kind that the Commissioners can do will be effective as opposed to partisan turnout efforts that focus on specific candidates or issues.
This is something I've been looking at since Penn ACTION does both c4 partisan GOTV work and c3 non-partisan GOTV work.
And so far, most of the evidence suggests that non-partisan GOTV work can be as effective as partisan GOTV work, if it uses the latest techniques that encourage people to vote such as
1. Multiple reminders of various kinds
2. Pointing out to citizens that whether they vote or not is a matter of public record.
3. Thanking people for voting in the past.
4. Telling people that most of their fellow citizens vote if they are registered.
At a time when Republicans in Harrisburg are busy making it more difficult for working class and poor people to vote, there is no reason why our city officials shouldn't be encouraging Philadelphians to overcome these and other barriers to voting.