A yet-to-be released study that ranks Philadelphia as the most expensive county in the state when it comes to per-voter election costs garnered almost no attention this morning during a meeting of the City Commissioners.
As reported today in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the study found that Philadelphia spends $9.18 per voter, which is nearly double the median figure - $4.68 - spent by Pennsylvania's 15 most populous counties.
No matter, for now, to the three City Commissioners who oversee Philadelphia elections. "We will respond when we are good and ready... and you'll be surprised," Commission Chairwoman Marge Tartaglione said.
Referring to the Nov. 3 general election, Commissioner Joe Duda said, "Right now we are focused on this election."
Indeed, the commissioners spent more time at the meeting placing nickel bets on the percentage of voters who will cast ballots Nov. 3. So far, a total of 35 cents was raised "toward our struggling budget," Tartaglione said.
Here are some of the projections:
Commissioner Tartaglione - 20 to 21 percent voter turnout
Commissioner Duda - 20 percent
Commissioner Clarke - 13 percent
Bob Lee, voter registration administrator - 24 percent
Fred Voigt, deputy city commissioner - 23 percent
Click here for Philly.com's politics page.
It's very sad, really. You couldn't make this up as biting satire.— CleanupPhilly- Of course Tartaglione is going to come out with an audit that points out the patronage and overpayment in the office, when she is "good and ready." Personally, I think that she was killed and stuffed, and is a robot that signs checks.— CleanupPhilly
- Didn't Steve Lopez years ago refer to Marge as one of the "boom-boom" girls who went on city junket to Las Vegas?— phillyccgwm
Comment removed.- Love her "DOO".— FJG JR
- our commissioners. council members, the brt, etc, are a disgrace. we let them buy our votes w/their patronage and keep them in office to the point of hopelessness. so many of fumo's defenders wrote about the good he had done and never considered the harm. we all pay for their largesse with higher taxes, unfunded necessities, and/or other hidden costs. we really need a citizens' revolt.— fryb
- That waasn't any "STUDY". PICA merely compared counties election budget divided by the number of regostered voters without even any cursory review of opeartions, demographics or anything. Let's look at the size of average voting districts in the counties and compliance with State law. State law currently mandates that voting districts, or Divisions, be no more than 1200 registered voters. Philadelphia has had no more than 15 - 35 Divisions which have exceded that limit at various times druing the past 15 - 20 years. Previous state law provided for 600 - 800 registered voters per Division. A 1988 court decision in Philadelphia provided a range of 550 - 900 voters per district. A few years ago those counties experiencing population growth requested that the State law be changed so that upper limit be raised from 800 to 1200 so they would not have to spend money to buy the additional needed voting machines, rent facilities or pay the additional 5 - 6 poll officials per district. Even with the increased numbers, many of the counties mentioned in this "study" have only 40 - 75 percent compliance with the new law. While Philadelphia did not object to this change, the City Commissioners recognized that voting district size is a critical factor in promoting voter participation. The smaller the district, then the closer the polling place is to the voter - yes distance impacts turnout. The lower number of registered voters per district means shorter lines at poll during peak elections and voting times - yes lines impact voter participation. It's simple voting 101. Unlike those election officials in other counties the City Commissioners did not want to sacrifice voter particiption by changing district size so that polling places were further away from homes and that a 50 - 100% increase in the number of voters assigned would result in longer lines, and more disenfranchisement voters. Some Study - didn't do any work whatssever in determing cost factors— ElecFact
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