Ballot Questions and Charter Changes

A ballot question is a measure placed before voters for a yes-or-no decision, and a Charter change is an amendment to the Home Rule Charter, Philadelphia's local constitution. Because the Charter can only be amended with voter approval, questions are the main way structural changes to city government are made, such as creating new offices, boards or powers. Philadelphia does not have a general citizen initiative process for ordinances; changes usually begin in Council.^[1]

1 How a question reaches the ballot

A Charter amendment normally begins as a bill introduced in City Council authorizing the question. After public hearings and passage by Council, usually signed by the Mayor, the question's exact text is submitted to the City Commissioners and the court of common pleas as required by the state's home rule law and appears on the next primary or general election ballot, subject to statutory deadlines. The Charter can also be changed by a Charter commission process or through state law, but those routes are rarely used; see Philadelphia Home Rule Charter. Council can also place advisory or non-binding questions on the ballot in some cases. For the bill process, see How a Bill Becomes Law in Philadelphia.

2 Recent measures

• May 2025 primary: voters decided three ballot questions on May 20, 2025; the Inquirer and WHYY published explainers on each, and the official results are posted at vote-results.phila.gov.^[2]
• May 2026 primary: voters were asked whether to create the Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board to oversee a program for private-sector workers without employer retirement plans, and whether to make the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson permanent and give it additional powers; the office was created by executive order in 2022. The Inquirer reported on May 19, 2026 that voters approved both measures.^[3] Official results are posted at vote-results.phila.gov.

3 Voting on questions

Ballot questions are open to every registered voter, including voters not enrolled in a party, even when they appear on a closed primary ballot. The wording on the ballot is a short summary; the Commissioners and many news organizations publish the full text and explanations. See Elections in Philadelphia and Voter Registration and Mail Voting.

4 Debates over the process

Reformers have argued that placing questions on low-turnout primary ballots means a small share of voters decide Charter changes: turnout in the May 2026 primary was about 22.3 percent, according to an Inquirer commentary.^[4] Others note that Council control of the process prevents hastily drafted amendments. Past debates have involved proposals on the resign-to-run rule, Council term limits and the structure of the school governance system; see Philadelphia Board of Education and Good Government Groups.

See also: Running for Office in Philadelphia, Home Rule Limits and State Preemption, City Commissioners.

References

1. City of Philadelphia, Home Rule Charter; Pennsylvania Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law (53 Pa.C.S. Part III, Subpart E).
2. Philadelphia City Commissioners, May 2025 primary results (vote-results.phila.gov); The Philadelphia Citizen, "Ballot questions 2025."
3. WHYY, "Election 2026: What Philly voters need to know about the ballot questions in the May 19 primary"; City Cast Philly, May 2026 ballot question guide.
4. Philadelphia City Commissioners, primary election results for 2025 and 2026 (vote-results.phila.gov).