Tuesday was Primary Day in Pennsylvania. Following the 2020 presidential election, and the historic weight the city of Philadelphia lent to the outcome, Tuesday’s election continued to uphold the civic spirit of participatory democracy. And just one day after presiding over the University’s 265th Commencement, Penn President Amy Gutmann cast her vote in Houston Hall. Gutmann, along with voters throughout the commonwealth, picked representatives from their parties to put on the ballot for the November general election; Philadelphians voted for judges, Controller, and District Attorney.
Four ballot questions, including one that would limit the governor’s disaster declaration powers and another on a state constitutional amendment regarding equal rights, also compelled voters to exercise their right to participatory democracy. Of the city’s 1.1 million registered voters, the voter turnout results weren’t tallied until after polls closed at 8 p.m. Last year’s election brought a record number of voters to the polls.
