Philadelphia Weekly

With little more than a month until the Nov. 4 general election, many of us still find it difficult to keep track of all the political information bombarding us. But the Committee of Seventy, employing new media techniques, helps citizens master the basics of local and national politics, register to vote, and volunteer on Election Day�--all without forcing us to revisit boring-as-hell high school civics classes.

Founded in 1904 by a group of 70 Philadelphia businessmen who were fed up with municipal corruption, the Committee of Seventy has always been responsive to demands for policy reform in the city. But in recent years their methodology and concerns have changed quite a bit.

"We've been around for a long time," says Jon David, the Committee's director of voter services. "But we had to reinvent the program to really respond to the issues of the day."

When the organization was first formed, the Committee's concerns were primarily voter fraud and ballot box stuffing. But more recently, and certainly in this year's election, the concerns are voters' rights issues and making sure everyone can get into a polling place.

"We have teams roving the city on Election Day, going to different polling places, interviewing polling officials and voters, and taking calls to our hotline," David says. "Low voter turnout-- especially very different degrees of turnout from neighborhood to neighborhood--is a major concern."

The recently redesigned Committee of Seventy website allows people to enter a zip code and find their local polling place or learn how to register to vote. Once at the polls, a hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) is available for those who are told they're at the wrong polling place or have other problems. The hotline is run by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which was created by President Kennedy. The Lawyers' Committee is the Committee of Seventy's main national partner.

But the Committee wants to go beyond being an Election Day resource--educating citizens and voters about all aspects of national and local politics. During the other days of the year the Committee helps people find out who their ward leader is or what a Clerk of Quarter Sessions does. The organization's 2008 Citizen's Guide (a nonpartisan Cliffs Notes for elected office) contains a graphic of Philly's political structure, contact information for local representatives and City Council members, and a list of guidelines about running for elected office.

"This year we're trying to expand our program beyond Philly and into the 'burbs, even Chester and Allentown," says Miguel Williams, the Committee's volunteer coordinator. "Many people pay no attention to the local races, especially young people because we move this way and that and are more transient. But I'd like to see more people pay attention to the local races and vote for someone they know something about, not just the person they're voting for for president."

There's also the issue of Philadelphia being such a one-sided town politically, which may turn off potential voters who hold other political ideals. The city's reputation for tough city politics in need of a watchdog doesn't help cultivate new voters either.

"When there's nobody watching, especially in a city like ours that's so political and still believes in old politics, people can preside over their own election in a way," says David. "The people running polling places are all elected, and eventually you'll need to be accountable to the voters."

"Every person representing any organization at a polling place should be aware of their role and conscious of their impact on the voting process," says Williams. "The least desirable task our volunteers may have is trying to tell people they're doing something they're not supposed to be doing. Of course we'd love to answer questions and help people vote, not to tell others they shouldn't be doing something."

"Its been a one-party city for a long time," says David. "That's something we'd like to change--to bring some competitiveness back to Philadelphia elections." "That'll bring out a lot more voters and make a lot more people want to get involved. One hundred and four years ago, when this organization was founded, that was the idea."

To register to vote before the Oct. 6 deadline, volunteer on Election Day or make a tax-deductible contribution (the Committee receives no government funding), visit www.seventy.org.