Good morning. Call to order the meeting of the Philadelphia City Commissioners Return Board for Friday, May 29th, 2026. This meeting is in compliance with the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act. The Philadelphia City Commissioners are a
three member bipartisan board of elected officials in charge of elections and voter registrations for the city of Philadelphia. Each commissioner is elected to serve a 4-year term that coincides with the municipal election cycle for mayor and city council. The
commissioner set and enforce departmental policies to administer voter registration and conduct elections in accordance with federal and state voter registration election laws. The city commissioners were created by the Pennsylvania assembly in 1711 with a
focus on taxation and held various regulatory powers throughout the centuries. The commissioner started maintaining border list in 1799 took on more election related responsibilities but didn't emerge into its current form until the adoption of
Philadelphia home charter in 1951. We start off with public comments before beginning their comments. Commenters shall state where they live or are not a resident of Philadelphia and that they are a Philadelphia taxpayer. Public comment is not an opportunity for
dialogue or Q&A. It is public comment a chance for you to tell us what you think. Each speaker will have two minutes to speak. However, I may extend the time at my discretion. Public comment must concern matters on today's meeting agenda. Finally, it is my
responsibility to preserve the order and decorum of the meetings. As such, profane, slanderous, discriminatory, personal attacks will not be tolerated. If you wish to make a public objection to a perceived Sunshine Act violation, please raise your hand and I will
recognize you. Outburst will not be tolerated. Anyone wishing to offer public comment, please step forward. have enough. We will now proceed to email comments. Secretary Bluest, were there any email public comments? >> As of 10:45 a.m., there were no email
public comments. >> We will now proceed to new business. We will begin by considering our first agenda item under new business, provisional ballot sufficiency determination. These categories will be presented by
our voter registration administrator, Kevin Richardson. >> Good morning, commissioners. >> Okay, our first category is we have 18 ballots that had no board worker signatures on them at all. I move that this board
counts provisional violence in this category. Is there a second? >> Mr. Chairman, [clears throat] if I may, remarks on the motion. >> Yes, you may. >> It is the board worker's responsibility to sign their section of the provisional
ballot envelope. I do not believe that the voters should be disenfranchised for mistakes made by election board workers. >> Mr. Chairman, may I please ask Kevin question? >> Yes, you may. >> Kevin, are there any questions about the chain of custody of these ballots? >> None.
>> Thank you. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Secretary Blstein, please call. >> Vice Chair Dy. I vote I chairman seir >> I please proceed.
>> Okay the next category is not in system staff determined the people were not registered. We have 115 ballots. >> I move that this board does not count provisional violence in this category. Is there a second?
>> Second. >> Secretary Bluestein please call the role. >> Vice Chair Dy >> I. >> I vote I. Chairman Seabir. >> I Please proceed. >> Okay. The next category is registered out of county. We had 150 ballots.
>> I move that this board does not count provisional [clears throat] ballots in this category. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Secretary Bluestein, please call a role. >> Vice Chair Dey. >> I. >> I vote I. Chairman Samir. I. >> Please proceed. >> The next category is the voter has been
cancelled. There was 20 ballots. I move that this board does not count B original pro original ballots in this category. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Secretary Bluspine, please call a rule. >> Vice Chair Dey >> I. >> I vote I. Chairman Seabir.
>> I. Please proceed. >> The next category is where the staff determined that the uh voter voted in person at the polling place. We have 46 ballots. >> I move that this board does not count ballots in this category. Is there a second? Second.
>> Secretary Blstein, please call a rule. >> Vice Chair Dey >> I. >> I vote I. Chairman Seabir. >> I. Please proceed. >> The next category is where the voter had a mailin ballot that was already counted. There were 17 ballots.
>> I move that this board does not count provisional ballots in this category. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Secretary Bluestein, please call a role. >> Vice Chair Dilly. I >> I vote I chairman Seabir. >> I please proceed.
>> The next category is where the voter failed to sign the provisional ballot. >> I move that this board does not count provisional ballots in this category. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Secretary Bluestein, please call the rule.
>> Vice Chair Dilly, >> I. >> I vote I. Chairman Seabir, >> I. Please proceed. >> Uh the next category is where the voter only Once on the provisional ballot, there was 45 ballots. >> Vice Daily, you want to make a comment
on this? >> Yes. I have questions for Kevin on this category, please. >> Please proceed. >> Kevin, was there a signature on the envelope? >> There was one voter signature on the envelope. Yes. >> Was the staff able to compare that signature to the registered voter in the shore system?
>> Yes, they were. >> In all cases, the signature was determined to be genuine. >> That is correct. Did all the voters in this category sign on the left side and not on the right side or did some sign on the right and not on the left?
>> Some on the left, some on the right. >> Okay. Mr. Chairman, I would like to request that this category be broken out into two different votes. One that deals with the voters that signed in location one but not two, and another for voters that signed in two but not one. The
reason for this is because in re canvas of provisional ballots in the 2024 primary election, it deals with the former and there has not been a case that deals with the latter. Each has offered a different line of the election code. Thank you.
>> Is there a second? >> Mr. Chairman, I I'll second the vice chair's motion. I have no problem splitting them out into two separate votes and just voting um on those ballots. >> Okay. >> I don't have a problem with it. >> So, so he broke up.
>> Do you have those numbers, Kevin? >> No, I don't. >> Okay. So, let's take a let's take a five minute recess. So, we'll take a recess right now and then Kevin, you want to break those up? Yes, sir. He says
Take your take your [laughter] They're all on the left. I was probably wrong. They're all on the left. I was going to put that on a record. I made a mistake. I just figured the odds
had to be that way. Right. Oh, if you want to put on a mistake. Yeah. >> Like I said, I just figure the odds one. He's got separate say 45 and the other back.
>> Okay, commissioners. Uh, we did the breakdown. It turns out there's 45 signatures on the left, zero on the right. >> So, I move that this board does not count the ballots in both categories. >> Is there a second? >> Mr. Chairman, may I make remarks on the
motion? >> Sure. My previous statement of supply here stated earlier the court case that created this category only deals with the voters who signed in line one but not in line two. Those voters ran a fail
of 25ps 3050. These voters complied with line three but ran a fail of line two. It is a difference. While it's very technical, there is not a case that applies here. As Kevin stated, um, these voters were determined to be genuine,
qualified voters. I believe that these voters should not be disenfranchised. Thank you. >> Thank you, chairman. I'll second the motion. >> Please call. >> Vice Chair Dey, >> no. >> I vote I. Chairman Seir,
>> I please proceed. >> Okay. The the next category is we had one federal voter tried to vote by provisional ballot. >> Oh. Oh, the other you want to present them all at once. Okay. There was one
federal voter uh no ballot were in the declaration envelope. There were three of those and there were 18 naked ballots. >> I move that this board does not count violence in this category.
>> Excuse me, Mr. Chairman. I have a question for Kevin on this category. >> Sure. >> Kevin, were these voters determined to be registered voters? >> Yes. >> They signed the affidavit. Correct. >> Correct. >> So, the only thing wrong with these ballots is that they are not inside a
secrecy envelope. Correct. >> That is correct. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Thank you. >> Is there a second motion? I'll second a motion to not count the ball balance. >> Mr. Chairman, remarks on the motion. >> Please proceed.
>> I believe whether or not a ballot is in a secrecy envelope, not material in determining whether or not such individual is qualified under state law to vote in such election. But unlike the mail ballots where the voters are filling them out on their kitchen table, these voters are doing this process in a
polling place. The judge of election should be instructing them to place their ballot in a secrecy envelope. So this is a p or error that we should not be punishing the voter for. Furthermore, the difference here is the provisional ballots are outlined in federal law. The
Help America Vote Act and this is a federal election. State law determines if someone is eligible to vote. If we determine these voters to be registered and that they sign the affidavit and that they have not already voted in any other way, then we must count them. PA
law has extra hurdles, but putting a ballot in a secrecy envelope has no bearing on whether or not someone is qualified to vote. I believe that the Pennsylvania law is in conflict with the Help America Vote Act. This has not this has not been the sub this has not been
the subject of recent court challenges and therefore I believe that these ballots should count. >> Did you want to make a comment? >> Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would just say that I I agree with uh Commissioner De's sentiments, but unfortunately I think we're bound by state law to not
count them. >> Please call to rule. >> Vice Chair Dearly. >> No. >> I vote I. Chairman Seabir. >> I. >> Thank you, Kevin. >> Thank you, Commissioners. >> Vice Chair Dilly, did you have any other
business to be raised this meeting? >> I have none. Thank you. Secretary Bluestein, did you have any other business to be raised this meeting? >> I have not. Thank you. >> Of course, as always, I' like to say thank you to the staff and as always to like to say eubar to all the practicing
Muslims who are celebrating their Eid. It's a three-day celebration and today marks the third day of the celebration. Thank you, commissioners.