UPDATE: Tonight’s curfew will begin at 8:30 p.m. to allow residents time to vote and return home after voting.

It’s Election Day across Pennsylvania. In West Philly, voters will cast primary ballots for competitive races for state House of Representatives and Auditor General, select delegates to this year’s party conventions and respond to two ballot questions related to Philadelphia.

Polling places around the city have been consolidated, so find your polling place here if you aim to vote in person. Polls are open until 8 p.m. If you are in line by then, you will be able to vote.

There are a couple of things you can do if you still have your mail-in ballot. You can still mail it in following Gov. Tom Wolf’s emergency declaration extending the mail-in ballot deadline a week to June 9. Or, you can drop off your ballot at one of the several drop-off points around the city, including the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library at 125 S. 52nd St. (52nd and Sansom).  Continue Reading

Your favorite food trucks may be coming back soon as the city has started lifting some restrictions on business operations imposed at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in March. Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf announced on Friday that Philadelphia will move to the “yellow” re-opening phase on June 5 when many businesses can reopen (under state safety guidelines), including retail stores, childcare centers, and day camps.

While dine-in service at restaurants will still be prohibited, the City of Philadelphia has lifted restrictions on walk-up service in the yellow re-opening phase. Walk-up customers will be required to wear facial coverings and practice social distancing. Lines may not exceed 10 customers.  Continue Reading

The deadline to request a mail-in ballot for this year’s primary election is Tuesday, May 26. You can request a mail-in or absentee ballot here. Your request must be made before 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

If you have waited until now to request your ballot, the turnaround will be tight. The Board of Elections ballot must receive your mail-in ballot by 8 p.m. on June 2, the date of the primary. Postmarks are not honored. So, if you are applying now, get your ballot back in the mail as soon as possible after receiving it. Also, a ballot drop box has been recently installed at City Hall (see more info below).  Continue Reading

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolfe announced on Friday that Philadelphia will move from the “red” to the “yellow” coronavirus re-opening phase on June 5. The yellow phase is the first re-opening phase and most businesses can reopen under state safety guidelines. This includes:

• Childcare centers and day camps
• In-person retail (curbside pickup and delivery are encouraged)
• Pet groomers
• Manufacturers

Continue Reading

Pennsylvania’s primary election is just over two weeks away. Here are a few things to know.

Originally scheduled for April 28, the election was pushed to June 2 and now includes a mail-in ballot option. Polls will likely be open on June 2, but counties across the state have been given the authority to consolidate polling locations, so your usual place may not be open.

The registration deadline has been bumped up to May 18. You can register here and can check your registration status here.  Continue Reading

The City of Philadelphia has announced an Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which aims to help people who have lost income and are unable to pay their rent due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The City will begin accepting applications for the program on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 a.m. The deadline to apply is Saturday, May 16 at 5 p.m.

To be eligible, renters must:

• Rent an apartment or house in Philadelphia
• Have a valid and current written lease signed by landlord
• Have lost income because of COVID-19
• Meet income guidelines  Continue Reading