The Triangle

Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: News

Michael Nutter was elected as the next mayor of Philadelphia Nov. 2. Despite low voter turnout, Nutter came away with an 83% margin of victory.

Voter turnout was at a record low Nov. 2 for the mayoral elections in Philadelphia this year.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, about three in ten registered voters cast ballots, the lowest turnout for a Philadelphia mayoral election in more than a century. Although the election ended with an 83 percent victory for Nutter, the percentage of voters who turned in their ballot was far lower than was expected.

Drexel Democrats President Sean Miller commented that the organization is doing their best to get out the vote to students on Drexel's campus.

"Getting out the vote is our number one priority. Our goals are to get freshmen registered to vote and getting them active in the election," Miller said.

Miller commented that it is crucial for students to become involved in city politics. "Registering in Philadelphia impacts your life for the next four years. The next mayor is going to have a big impact on Drexel's campus safety," Miller said.

Politicians should also be aware of and remain connected with the city's student population, according to Miller.

"In no other place in Philadelphia will you be able to impact upwards of 10,000 students in one area," Miller said.

Miller said the Drexel Democrats have a very simple concept they want to impart to students on Drexel's campus.

"We want to get across the message that although you're not from the state, you can still register to vote from Pennsylvania," Miller said. "We want to students to know that if they do want to vote, it's very easy."

Miller urged students to register in Philadelphia, whether or not they are originally from the city.

"Our next goal, now that the mayoral election is over, is to try to get students to vote for the Pennsylvania primaries. Pennsylvania's been called a swing state, so we try to get as many voting in this state because it really matters," Miller said.

Not everyone, however, saw the low voter turnout in a negative light. Associate professor of History & Politics Richardson Dilworth commented that the rate of voters for this past election was not surprising.

"Philadelphia elections are always in off-years, so you get less turnout for local offices than you would get for national offices, and then you get less people coming in off years. A lot of people came for the primary and didn't bother voting because they weren't so interested in the mayor. Frankly, its not so strange," Dilworth said.

Continued...

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