With the Philadelphia Primary election a week away, people can expect to hear some knocks on their door as campaigns shoot for a final push that could make all the difference in Philly’s mayoral race. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk spoke with people about what they want to see from the next mayor as they were dropping off their mail-in ballots.
What to Know
- The only independent public poll in the Philadelphia mayoral race showed a statistical tie between the top Democrats, with five of them breaking away from the rest of the nine-person pack.
- Democrats in Philadelphia outnumber Republicans by about seven to one, putting focus on the primary election in the city. Unlike statewide races, there’s no threshold to trigger a recount of city votes between top candidates if the margin is slim.
- In the unlikely event Philadelphia mayoral candidates end up in a tie, the city’s next leader is left up to chance. Philadelphia uses an old “Horn & Hardart” coffee can to draw ballot positions for elections, a tradition with a city hall spectacle as candidates or designated representatives pick balls with numbers on them out of the can to determine where they’ll appear on the ballot.
When former Philadelphia mayor and former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell weighed in on this year’s mayoral race, he predicted the results could be close.
“This is a race that could be decided by a couple hundred votes,” said Rendell, who endorsed former city controller Rebecca Rhynhart in the Democratic primary.
Since then, the only independent public poll on the contest showed a statistical tie between the top Democrats, with five of them breaking away from the rest of the nine-person pack. The poll, conducted in April, also showed 20 percent of respondents undecided on a mayoral candidate.
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Democrats in Philadelphia outnumber Republicans by about seven to one, putting focus on the primary election in the city.
Unlike statewide races, there’s no threshold to trigger a recount of city votes between top candidates if the margin is slim.
“There’s not an automatic recount for municipal races. However there’s processes where candidates or voters can request a recount if necessary,” said deputy city commissioner Nick Custodio.
Philadelphia Mayoral Election 2023
In last year’s Republican Senate primary, Pennsylvania counties conducted a recount in the race between candidates Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick, with Oz winning the primary but losing in the general election to now-Senator John Fetterman.
In the unlikely event Philadelphia mayoral candidates end up in a tie, the city’s next leader is left up to chance.
“The election code specifies if there’s a tie in any race it goes to drawing of the lots,” Custodio said. “So we take out the Mr. Horn & Hardart can and the candidates would draw out of that.”
Philadelphia uses an old “Horn & Hardart” coffee can to draw ballot positions for elections, a tradition with a city hall spectacle as candidates or designated representatives pick balls with numbers on them out of the can to determine where they’ll appear on the ballot.
A very close race in the Democratic primary for mayor could mean results aren’t known until the full count is completed – which usually takes about two weeks – as elections officials go through provisional ballots and wait for military or overseas ballots to be counted.
“The closer the election is, the longer it’s going to take before clarity on who won,” Custodio said.
