Local officials and civic leaders gathered at the 4th District Satellite Office on July 23 for the first of 10 events to encourage civic engagement in the community.
By Jensen Toussaint. On July 27, 2026. Edited by Nigel Thompson.
Local officials and civic leaders are going full force in getting Philadelphians civically engaged as the 2026 elections approach with its Between the Ballots series. (Photo by Jensen Toussaint for Inti Media)
As chairman of Philadelphia’s City Commissioners Office, Omar Sabir has heard various excuses as to why eligible voters may not vote on Election or Primary Day. Whether it was because they had to work, had an appointment, or other duties or engagements, Sabir wants to see those excuses put to rest. So, the city is doing what it can to make it easier for people to go out and vote.
On July 23, Philadelphia held the official kickoff event for its Between the Ballots initiative, a free summer voter engagement series designed to promote civic engagement in various neighborhoods throughout the city.
Commissioner Omar Sabir welcomed attendees to the first of 10 events as part of the city’s “Between the Ballots” series to promote civic engagement. (Photo by Jensen Toussaint for Inti Media)
Through this initiative, there will be a series of 10 events held at the 10 satellite election offices that were opened throughout the city over the past year.
“That’s what it’s all about,” said Sabir. “It’s about us coming together to make a good decision for how we move forward.”
The events serve to bring valuable resources, ranging from voter registration to mail-in ballot and paid poll worker recruitment information directly to the community. The goal is to ensure eligible voters are informed, which goes a long way toward preserving the country’s democracy. Sabir points to the fact that just 22% of Philadelphians participated in the city’s most recent primary elections in May 2026.
“That’s eight out of 10 eligible voters in Philadelphia that thought they had something better to do on Election Day,” he said.
The satellite election offices opened throughout the city serve to make the voting process easier and more expansive than just going to a polling place on Primary Day or Election Day.
“Whether you choose to vote in person at your polling place, whether you choose to vote by mail, or you choose to come to one of our satellite election offices and get service from our staff… I can guarantee you that voting in Philadelphia is safe and secure,” said City Commissioner Seth Bluestein.
Voting as a change agent
When it comes to being civically engaged, voting is often deemed a priority as it’s one of the most critical ways to make your voice heard. That’s why the city and state are making these measures to prepare citizens in the lead-up to elections.
“We take voting seriously, and we want to make sure that this is top of mind,” said State Sen. Vincent Hughes.
For centuries, hard efforts and many sacrifices have been made to secure the right to vote. Whether it was the ratification of the 15th Amendment or 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or the Voting Rights Act of 1965, history has shown the importance of the right to vote. Later amendments like the 24th Amendment and 26th Amendment have helped eliminate some other barriers to voting.
Sen. Vincent Hughes stresses the importance of voting because voting is what has led to several institutional changes over the years. (Photo by Jensen Toussaint for Inti Media.)
As bills and policies are proposed today, those in office are key cogs in whether they go through or not.
“Voting matters, voting is relevant, and voting is necessary if you want to push back on all the madness that’s going on around us. We’ve got to make sure that we’re engaged in the process of voting,” Hughes added.
Councilmember Rue Landau said that as the city’s first LGBTQ+ councilmember in Philadelphia’s history, she is proof of what your voting results can look like.
“It is amazing and it can be transformative, and you can actually pick the people who are representing you at every single level,” she said.
A year-round ordeal
While voting is a pivotal part of civic engagement, the overall democratic process involves much more.
“Democracy doesn’t take a day off. It’s not a spectator sport, and we have to do this all year round,” said Committee of Seventy President and CEO Lauren Cristella. She praised initiatives like Between the Ballots because it makes civic engagement more accessible and fun, which are two ways to help increase interest and voter turnout.
PA Youth Vote is another one of several local organizations that takes a year-round approach with civic engagement. The organization promotes civic education to create a more civically educated and activated voter base.
“Because we know that a civically educated and activated constituency is an empowered constituency,” said PA Youth Vote Executive Director Angelique Hinton. She added that voting can have life-changing consequences. Therefore, being educated about how the government works, how to vote, and who you are voting for is crucial.
“We must vote to ensure our voices are included in conversations where policy decisions are being made because those policies can either help or harm us and our communities,” she said.
PA Youth Vote promotes civic engagement as a year-round ordeals that gets people informed long before elections take place, says executive director Angelique Hinton. (Photo by Jensen Toussaint for Inti Media)
The Between the Ballots initiative aims to meet people where they are and provide resources that help citizens vote for candidates who closely mirror their best interests.
“If we want to save our democracy, we have to ensure people believe that democracy is worth saving and educate them on how to hold leaders accountable to ensure everyone benefits from it equitably,” Hinton added.
For the full list of Between the Ballots events through August, visit their Facebook page here.