Low Voter Turnout in Philadelphia’s Primary Election Raises Concerns

Philadelphia residents showed disappointing turnout in the recent primary election, with only 17.7% of registered voters participating. This low figure raised concerns as it marked a significant decline from previous election cycles.

In comparison to the 32% turnout in the last presidential primary, where voters chose between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the participation in this year’s primary was notably lower. The figures were also far below the numbers from the 2016 election, where the race was between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Unofficial results from the City Commissioners revealed that out of the more than one million eligible voters in Philadelphia, only 183,538 cast their ballots in this primary election.

This underwhelming turnout has sparked discussions about voter engagement and the factors influencing participation in local elections.