Hello. Anybody there? Is anyone interested in the upcoming Tuesday, May 17th Primary Election? Sure is quiet out here.
I know the candidates who are running are very interested in May 17th. But what about your average voter? And is anyone hearing about candidates’ forums and debates, in-person or virtual? Just last week in my Civics Column, I listed all the key political seats that are up for grabs. Even before last week, I’ve gone through that exercise in this column. My hope is that some of the information I share here in the SCOP about voting, registering to vote, and knowing when election day is, is beneficial to some potential voters.
But get this: With the state district maps changing in many cases across Pennsylvania, for some voters, when they go to the polls on May 17th for the first time, they’ll be voting in a new district. I just wonder, does the general public, everyday voters really understand that?
Abu Edwards, who is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill-guy understands. He’s a young man from the city of Philadelphia who is very passionate about voting and the process to vote. I predict that one day, we’ll look up and see Abu Edwards running for a political office. For now, however, he is still helping to lead the way, without the power of a political office, to educate would-be voters and citizens about voting, particularly with the change in how the political maps are drawn.
Here’s a little civics lesson starring Abu Edwards.
“Basically everybody is running in their new districts. The new district lines are being campaigned in now. Officials decided not to wait until the 2023 primary election or general election to put the new district map into effect. It starts now. Your average voter may think they’re going to the polls to vote for one State Representative versus the other, and they honestly may not be aware that they now have to vote in a different district. It’s a mess because everything has been pushed back. If you ask me–do I think the average voter knows what the heck is going on, my answer would be no,” said Abu Edwards.
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