Panelists:
Lisa Deeley, Philadelphia City Commissioner
Al Schmidt, Philadelphia City Commissioner
Omar Sabir, Philadelphia City Commissioner
Patrick Christmas, Policy Director, Committee of Seventy
Donnell Drinks, Election Protection Coordinator, ACLU of Pennsylvania
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic and daunting challenge to our voting system. During the June 2, 2020 primary election many polling locations in Philadelphia and across the state were closed and elections officials tried to keep up with the crushing number of voters choosing to vote by mail. With concern among poll workers and voters growing about in-person voting in a worsening pandemic, many voters have opted to vote by mail in unprecedented numbers. In Pennsylvania’s June Primary Election, more than 1.8 million votes were cast by mail, and it is likely that millions of voters will again choose to vote by mail in the General Election, which is less than 100 days away.
In this virtual presentation, we gather advocates and election officials to talk about some of the key issues ahead of the November election, including (a) the efforts being made to ensure that every voter can cast his or her ballot safely and have that vote be counted; (b) the plan to address the overwhelming administrative and financial challenges in preparing for the election as well as to rebut wild misinformation about the integrity of the voting process; and (c) how regular Philadelphians can play a role make our City’s election free, fair, and equal.
In this roundtable discussion, our expert panel will discuss the City’s preparations for this year’s General Election. Participants will walk away with information about how to assist voter registration efforts; and how to volunteer to protect the vote; and how to join the effort by serving as a poll worker. Together, we will make sure every Philadelphia voter’s voice is heard.
You must be registered to receive the video conference ID and password. Registration will close 30 minutes prior to the event start time and you will receive the link to join immediately after registration closes.
