Voting

Examining Philly’s Voter Turnout

January 27, 2017 / Comments Off on Examining Philly’s Voter Turnout

Local Elections and Turnout The 2017 Philadelphia primaries are now mere months away. So far in this space, I’ve examined the role of randomized ballot position for the city as a whole and within wards. Today, let’s focus on election turnout. Increasing turnout A candidate’s total number of votes is the product of the total […]

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Philadelphia’s Partisan Elections: The Implications of a Rare System

January 13, 2017 / Comments Off on Philadelphia’s Partisan Elections: The Implications of a Rare System

In 2015, Philadelphia’s current Mayor and City Council were elected with a voter turnout of just 25.5 percent. In 2011, when there was an incumbent mayor on the ballot, turnout barely surpassed 20 percent. There is a general consensus that low voter turnout is unhealthy for cities and democratic representation, and Philadelphia is not alone […]

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