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Inquirer Editorial: Best bets for commissioner

Change is coming to the City Commissioners Office, which oversees voter registration and elections in Philadelphia. Voters started the process in May, ousting Marge Tartaglione, who had been in office since the '70s. She was done in by her participation in the city's DROP program and the forced resignation last year of her daughter, Deputy Commissioner Renee Tartaglione, for breaking the rules on politicking by city employees.

The Inquirer is endorsing Stephanie Singer (left) and Al Schmidt in the City Commissioners Office.
The Inquirer is endorsing Stephanie Singer (left) and Al Schmidt in the City Commissioners Office.Read more

Change is coming to the City Commissioners Office, which oversees voter registration and elections in Philadelphia.

Voters started the process in May, ousting Marge Tartaglione, who had been in office since the '70s. She was done in by her participation in the city's DROP program and the forced resignation last year of her daughter, Deputy Commissioner Renee Tartaglione, for breaking the rules on politicking by city employees.

That leaves four candidates: incumbents Joseph J. Duda, a Republican, and Anthony Clark, a Democrat, and challengers Stephanie Singer (Democrat) and Al Schmidt (Republican). The top three vote-getters take office, but voters may pick only two. This year, if voters are serious about reform, they'll support the two outstanding newcomers, STEPHANIE SINGER and AL SCHMIDT.

The commissioners have faced regular criticism in recent years for administrative and financial woes, for poor supervision of elections and polling places, for the lack of information available online for voters and candidates, and for the inadequate training of election workers.

Duda defends the office, pointing out how it coped with hundreds of thousands of registrations in 2008, and managed the transition from 1930s-era voting machines to the current ones. Further change, he argues, is difficult, given budget constraints. (Keep in mind that as the minority-party commissioner, Duda got virtually no say in decision-making.)

Clark doesn't seem to be campaigning, a cynical move but understandable with Democrats always winning two of three seats.

In stark contrast, Singer and Schmidt are actively running, and earning endorsements across the political spectrum. They are calling for increased transparency and accountability, and advocating low-cost, commonsense suggestions like reaching out to community groups and posting basic election forms online for easier access. They hope to increase the use of technology and pay election workers more to improve the quality of that pool, primarily through efficiencies found elsewhere.

And they have the credentials to back up their promises.

Singer, 47, is a former math professor with considerable experience in election data analysis. Most notably, after the commissioners continually ignored her requests to post election results online, she just did it herself.

Schmidt, 40, has years of experience auditing federal agencies with the Government Accountability Office, and has recently been working to revive a two-party system in Philadelphia.

If elected, both say they'll resign from their ward leader positions to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

To reinvigorate this office, and promote good government in Philadelphia, voters should back Singer and Schmidt on Nov. 8.