Elections in Philadelphia

Elections in Philadelphia are run by the county board of elections, which in Philadelphia is the three-member City Commissioners board, under rules set largely by the Pennsylvania Election Code and the Home Rule Charter. Philadelphia is both a city and a county, so voters choose city, county, state and federal officers; see City-County Consolidation.^[1]

1 The election calendar

Pennsylvania holds primaries in May and general elections in November. In odd-numbered years Philadelphia elects city and county officials: the mayor and all 17 Council members (every four years, most recently 2023), the City Controller, the District Attorney, the Sheriff, the City Commissioners and the Register of Wills (see Philadelphia Row Offices), and local judges. Even-numbered years bring federal and state races. Special elections fill vacancies in Council or the legislature.

2 What is on the ballot

Voters also decide judicial retention questions and, often, ballot questions amending the Charter; see Ballot Questions and Charter Changes. Council at-large contests let voters choose up to five of seven seats, ensuring minority-party members win; see Philadelphia City Council. Party committee seats appear only on primary ballots; see Ward Leaders and Committeepersons.

3 How votes are cast and counted

Voters may vote in person at their division's polling place on Election Day, by mail ballot, or at in-person early mail-ballot options offered by the county. Philadelphia uses ballot-marking devices with a paper record, and mail ballots are counted at a central location; see Voter Registration and Mail Voting. Each polling place is staffed by an elected Judge of Elections, majority and minority inspectors, and appointed clerks. Results are reported at vote-results.phila.gov and are unofficial until certification.

4 Recent elections

• 2023: Cherelle Parker won the Democratic primary for mayor and the general election; Council saw gains for the Working Families Party. The Democratic primary was the most expensive in city history. See Campaign Finance in Philadelphia.
• 2025 primary (May 20): turnout was about 16.5 percent; Larry Krasner won renomination for District Attorney. Voters approved three Charter amendments on homeless services, prisons and affordable housing.^[2]
• 2025 general (November 4): about 382,600 ballots were cast of roughly 1.07 million registered voters, a turnout of 35.73 percent. Krasner won a third term with about 76 percent, Controller Christy Brady won with about 86 percent, and all three state Supreme Court justices on the ballot were retained.^[3]
• 2026 primary (May 19): turnout was 22.32 percent (241,186 ballots). Chris Rabb won the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Congressional District seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, and two Charter questions were on the ballot.^[4]

5 Oversight and disputes

The Commissioners' decisions can be challenged in the Court of Common Pleas, and election-law disputes often reach the state Supreme Court. The District Attorney's Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General can prosecute election crimes. Election-fraud prosecutions have occurred, for example the 2022 sentencing of a former congressman for bribing election officials; see Political Corruption Cases in Philadelphia.

See also: Political Parties in Philadelphia, Running for Office in Philadelphia, Council Districts and Wards.

References

1. Pennsylvania Election Code (25 P.S. 2601 et seq.); Philadelphia City Commissioners (vote.phila.gov).
2. Philadelphia City Commissioners, May 2025 primary results (vote-results.phila.gov); The Philadelphia Citizen, "Ballot questions 2025."
3. Philadelphia City Commissioners, November 2025 general election results (vote-results.phila.gov); Northeast Times, November 6, 2025.
4. Philadelphia City Commissioners, May 2026 primary results (vote-results.phila.gov); City and State Pennsylvania, May 2026.