Philadelphia’s first satellite voting shop opened in West Philadelphia last month, offering a wide range of services within closer reach for many voters.
The voting station, located at 4029 Market St., is one of ten satellite offices that are set to open in each district this year. Each station functions as a permanent office that allows eligible voters to register to vote, update their registration, and request mail-in ballots with the assistance of the County Board of Elections staff.
In addition, a mail-in ballot box is located outside of the office, allowing for 24/7 ballot drop-offs and increased voting opportunities — especially for those without internet access. The satellite location allows voters to apply for a mail-in ballot, fill it out, and drop it off in one visit.
“We know from extensive research that people are more likely to vote when it’s more convenient,” political science professor Daniel Hopkins told The Daily Pennsylvanian.
College sophomore Avia Weber, who has previously been involved with Penn Leads the Vote, said that there are days where the organization especially encourages students to register to vote. However, while those days generate a lot of excitement, satellite voting stations ensure that individuals can vote at any time.
“If a student isn’t here for national voter registration day, how can we make sure they get their registration on time? Through a satellite station,” Weber said.
In a press release from the City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia City Commissioner Chairman Omar Sabir wrote that “permanent satellite election offices demonstrate Philadelphia’s dedication to inclusivity and accessibility in the electoral process."
“I’m hopeful other counties will follow Philadelphia’s lead in improving voter access,” Pennsylvania Secretary Al Schmidt added in a statement to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Hopkins noted that the purpose of increasing opportunities for people to vote is not aimed at having a broader partisan effect. Instead, the impacts of these opportunities are on an individual level, increasing “the individual citizen’s sense of efficacy and trust in the election."
“Any one voter denied the right to vote is a very serious matter, even if that voter was not going to cast the decisive ballot,” Hopkins said.
Philadelphia opened several satellite voting shops for the 2020 election, which was the first time mail-in ballots were available to all Pennsylvania voters.
The satellite voting location in West Philadelphia opened in time for Pennsylvania’s primary election, which will occur on April 23, and will remain open through the general election in November.
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