Concerns raised about backlog of unprocessed voter registration applications
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Concerns raised about backlog of unprocessed voter registration applications
Jan Ransom
Updated: To include additional information 2:21 p.m.
The Committee of Seventy, a good government watchdog group is concerned about a backlog of applications in the City Commission’s office from people trying to register to vote for this year’s presidential election.
In a letter to the City Commissioners, City Council and the Mayor's office Committee of Seventy president director Zack Stalberg wrote it’s unclear how large the backlog is, but it appears the number of unprocessed registrations may exceed 20,000, “raising the possibility that potential voters will not be registered –or know whether they are registered –in time to vote on Election Day.”
“We got calls from a number of voters who were concerned they didn’t get their voter registration yet,” said Ellen Kaplan, policy director for the Committee of Seventy, adding that the Committee would like to help by either recruiting a team of volunteers to assist commission staff or the Committee urges the Commissioners to hire temporary workers than can help tackle the backlog.
Kaplan attended Wednesday’s commissioners meeting where she learned that some of the unprocessed applications date to Sept. 23.
Still, the number of applications received for this year’s presidential election is lower than years past. In 2008 the commission’s office received 300,000 applications compared to 200,000 this year. And on the final night to register to vote, the office received 34,000 applications in 2008 and 24,000 this year.
Tim Dowling, the elections finance and document specialist said volunteer groups dropped off tens of thousands of applications Oct. 9 –the last day to register to vote, although they had been advised to bring applications in sooner. Nonetheless, he said everything is “moving right along.”
City Commissioner Al Schmidt echoed Dowling's remarks and said that when groups turn the forms in late "it creates a real problem. It's something we struggle with every election." He said when volunteers wait until the last minute to hand in forms some people fill out multiple applications because they still have not recieved their registration card.
Schmidt said "every registration form our office receives will be processed, period." He added that commission staff work until 10 p.m, seven days a week and for presidential elections the Revenue Department provides data entry clerks who assist with processing forms.
Greg Irving, the acting voting registration administrator did not know how many applications had not been processed but said “that’s common with a presidential election. Everyone who turned in and submitted an application before the deadline will be able to vote in the coming election.”
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More articles by the Party rag pretending this is an issue...and where were all these folks for the last year....did they just wake up...they did not care enough to register and waited to the last minute.....too bad...you snooze you lose.....why must adults ???? need babysitters...— nuggett- Could these people be the same people who waited to get their Picture ID until the Court ruled that they could skate this election?!? 7 months, not enough time to register!?! Wait, I get it! These are the dead who, since they no longer have to prove that they are alive, need to get back onto the voter rolls again! To paraphrase my vice-President: Philadelphia--My God!
— OrvalEugeneFaubus -
What does it matter when they registered as long as it was before the deadline? Do you people have to whine about everything? If it's not some repugnican hack crying about some imaginary conspiracy it's clowns like you condoning voter suppression. And then you have the audacity to question someone else's maturity. If these people were from the Northeast you and that moron Giordano would be screaming like scalded pigs. Just shut up!— JLH - 20K votes due to RMoney's and Corbutt's attack on the 47%. Thanks. Keep up the good work.— Bruddah
Comment removed.- Or maybe some people just turned 18 recently or had to re-register here due to college.
This is actually a great argument against voter ID. If conservatives don't trust that the government can do anything right, why would they expect the same "incompetent" government to be able to implement and administer a Voter ID requirement right before a heated election? Gov't services have been slashed all over the country. The resources just aren't there to do this kind of thing any more without delays or glitches. This delay processing 20k registrations is a prime example.— Paul_West - "He said when volunteers wait until the last minute to hand in forms some people fill out multiple applications because they still have not recieved (all of) their registration card(s)." Now it looks like an accurate "big city voter registration" quote! Happy Election Day all!— OrvalEugeneFaubus
- So the "Democrat Party" is stupid huh? This from a moronic republic party sycophant who uses a phony government program like voter id's to prop up his straw man rant in a weak attempt to impugn someone else. I sometimes wonder if republicans actually listen to what they say or if they're just truly that ignorant. I know that facts are never an issue with your ilk but my goodness allow your brain to register what you're saying before you make yourself appear even more foolish.— JLH
- The 20K surge was because of the debate. Romney is a motivational speaker. Romney couldn't even get 50% of the Republican vote during the primary. Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Pizaa Guy the molestor. What a lineup. Willard Romney the Mormon beat them all. He's the most moderate severe conservative in the history of presidential elections. When are you going to release your tax returns Romney? Got something to hide??? Paid at least 14%. Yeah, when you count sales and real estate taxes. "You know, I come back to Michigan; the trees are the right height." Exactly how high are the trees in Michigan? I need to measure the trees on my porperty to see how they stack up. What a fruitcake. And Paul "Numbers Guy" Ryan who's budget doesn't add up. Never will. 8th grade math? F for FAILED.— MikeP
- Relax MikeP. They are motivated now to sweep out the Kenyan. Add Benghazi-gate and your boy is heading back to the bath houses of Chicago. Maybe you'll get an invite?— MilesLong1
- Yes...they can't get out of their coffins. Does MikeP work for Philly.com?— Mr. Underhill
- Typical repugnican nonsense. Do you clowns have anything other than stale talking points and out and out and out lies to tout. That's a rhetorical question of course. I took long nap this afternoon. Can omeone please tell me how many issues Mr. magic underpants flipped sides on while I was asleep? Btw, for all of you vets like myself. You may want to google Mitty and Vietnam and see just how cowardly this weasel can be. Let's just call him Monsieur Mitty.— JLH
- There's goes Zach Stalberg talking about something he nor the Comm of 70 knowing what they are talking about. Philadelphia has been used to recieving and completely processing tens of thousands of applications at or near the deadline for decades. The civil servants in that office may have to work from 8 AM - 10 PM 7 day a week, and bring in other city personnel to assist over the coming 2 weeks but they have consistently proved that they can get the work done so that every qualified applicant will be listed in pollbooks or the supplemental pollbook pages at the polls on election day.— ElecFact
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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