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Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Polls To Stay Open Late Tonight?

PhillyClout contributor Bob Warner tells us that the city's election court is poised to hear a motion to keep the polls open late tonight, due to the SEPTA strike. We'll update when we know the outcome.

UPDATE 12:05 p.m.: District Attorney Seth Williams is petitioning the court for the extension, along with others. Here's a press release from his campaign:

Event: Seth Williams, Democratic candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney, will speak to reporters at 1 PM today, Election Day, November 3, 2009, about his petition to extend Philadelphia’s polling hours until 9 PM due to the SEPTA strike.

Place: Laborers International Union of North America Local No 332

1310 Wallace Street, Philadelphia

Time: 1 PM

UPDATE 12:15 p.m.: According to a release we got from the Committee of Seventy, the City Commissioners are opposed to the extention. Here's the release from Seventy's Ellen Kaplan:

The SEPTA strike took everyone by surprise. As I write this e-mail, the Democratic City Committee is filing a motion in Election Court – joined by Democratic DA candidate Seth Williams and the Black Clergy of Philadelphia – to extend the polling place hours past the 8 p.m. deadline. The City Commissioners are strongly opposed to the extension since, according to Deputy Commissioner Fred Voigt, the logistics of notifying all 1,684 voting divisions would be next to impossible. The Commissioners are also concerned that extending the hours for Philadelphia voters would be unfair to non-Philadelphians given that the ballot contains statewide judicial races.

 

We will keep you posted on the progress of this legal action.

Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 11:46 AM  Permalink | 15 comments
Comments   
Posted 12:40 PM, 11/03/2009
seand
So its "unfair" to give registered voters more time to participate in an election? In Oregon voters vote by mail and take several months to turn in the ballots. Whats imporatant for fairness is that every registered voter gets a chance to participate and the integrity of the vote is maintained. Even here you can send in write-ins. It should be about how many valid votes that are cast, not how many between X and Y o'clock.
Posted 12:53 PM, 11/03/2009
Liberty4All
The rest of the state does not rely upon public transportation as much as many Philadelphians must do unfortunately, therefore, a surprise strike a few hours before the polls open should be a circumstance that would allow for extended hours, so that those people that are being transported privately, by carpool, etc. may exercise their right to vote without delay, but at least with the opportunity to do so in light of this surprise contingency. Maybe a until 10:00 p.m., but no later.
Posted 01:12 PM, 11/03/2009
The Edifier
Being that there are state-wide races, any poll extension needs to extend to rest of the state in the interest of fairness. Sure, most of the rest of the state isn't impacted by the strike, but let's get real, this also gives the local ward leaders (90% Democrat) more hours to get people to the polls, more hours to use street money, etc. Unless they're going to be checking for Septa passes at the polls after 8, you have to extend the same right to rest of the state.
Posted 01:14 PM, 11/03/2009
longshanks
This hurts Republicans. They prefer a very short and tight window to cast votes and only for the wards that favor their candidates. Of course they prefer that minority voters are turned away.
Posted 01:27 PM, 11/03/2009
willll
I could understand this in a Presidential year, but this is silly in an off-year election. In Philly, most people live within walking distance to their polls. If they are returning from work (complicated commute home, because of no bus or subway), how many get done work at 6:00, and are planning to vote today anyway ? If this is done, it will result in about 100-500 extra votes, and there are no races that will be close enough to make a difference.
Posted 01:30 PM, 11/03/2009
CleanupPhilly
People need to vote their frustration today at the Democrats for how the TWU was handled. The Dems are letting TWU shut down the city. Vote against the Democrats and show them that enough is enough.
Posted 01:33 PM, 11/03/2009
CleanupPhilly
TWU is hurting Democrats, because they are making it harder for working class people stranded by Septa to get to the pols after putting in a full day's work. People are so tired and frustrated after having to walk, bike, hitchhike, catch rides, and ferry other employees that they are going to go home and not come out again. Who does that hurt? Obviously the average Septa rider is the Democratic bread-and-butter voter.
Posted 01:35 PM, 11/03/2009
CleanupPhilly
But if you do go to the polls, let the Democrats know how you feel for allowing this strike and for discouraging Septa from using non union labor. Septa can hire non union people while the strike is on. Septa can fire at will, but Bob Brady, Rendell, and Nutter don't want them to do that! So let them know how YOU feel.
Posted 01:35 PM, 11/03/2009
jlcharles
longshanks is a racist clown.
Posted 01:42 PM, 11/03/2009
Grundsow
If the polls remain open, the city should sue SEPTA and it's officials for any extra costs incurred. It is not fair that those who didn't create this fiasco should be burdened with paying for it.
Posted 02:02 PM, 11/03/2009
tierneymustgo
Cleanup Philly....are you serious? Every single post you put on this site is a joke. Cleanup Philly sounds more like a desperate Republican't.
Posted 03:02 PM, 11/03/2009
fafafooey
"So its "unfair" to give registered voters more time to participate in an election?" - yes, if ALL registered voters aren't given more time. How would you like it if only several Republican-leaning districts in the suburbs were allowed to stay open late instead of the Democrat robo-voter districts in Philly? Methinks you'd complain...
Posted 03:12 PM, 11/03/2009
longshanks
jlcharles apparently you don't know how to read. Here's to hoping the republicans crash and burn.
Posted 03:25 PM, 11/03/2009
jlcharles
longshanks, you are a racist. Plain and simple. How have the Democrats done running the city of Philadelphia for the last 50 years?
Posted 03:27 PM, 11/03/2009
jlcharles
longshanks, what union do you belong to?
15 comments
About Chris Brennan and Catherine Lucey
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.

Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002. Since then she has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. For the past two years, she covered the 2007 mayoral election. Now that the battle is over, she has moved down to the City Hall bureau where she will report on the Nutter administration.

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Catherine Lucey
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