Community leaders, elected officials, and residents gathered to celebrate the opening of the new Satellite Election Office in West Philadelphia. (Photo by Khalif Chestnut)

The Philadelphia City Commissioners unveiled a new permanent “satellite” election office in West Philadelphia. The office officially opened on Tuesday morning at 5610 Lancaster Avenue. This is the third election office in Philadelphia and second in West Philadelphia. Seven more are expected to open across the city in the near future.

The office will provide such essential services as voter registration and mail-in and absentee ballot processing. It will be open seven days a week to serve the public ahead of the upcoming election.

“Every eligible voter in our city deserves the right to participate in democracy on their own terms. With this new West Philadelphia election office, we are meeting our residents where they are with the resources they need to cast their vote,” Chairman Commissioner Omar Sabir said at the new office ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration on Tuesday, Sept. 17, National Voter Registration Day.

The Special Election for the 195th and 201st State House Districts was also held yesterday, and voters could bring their mail-in or absentee ballots to the new office for processing. The General Election is November 5.

This is the third satellite election office in the city. The City Commissioners hope to create a total of ten offices, one in each City Council District. The first office opened in April, also in West Philly, at 4029 Market Street.