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.