Inside a secure warehouse in Northeast Philadelphia, workers are busily firing up the machines and preparing the paper materials that form the backbone of the democratic process in Pennsylvania’s largest city. Rows of voting machines sit ready to be dispatched to polling locations across the municipality, where they will eventually be returned for final tabulation. Because these machines lack any internet connection, vote counts must be physically transferred via secure compact discs to separate computers before being released to the public.
The city’s election infrastructure is managed by a three-member board of elected commissioners consisting of two Democrats and one Republican. Lisa Deeley, a Democrat, and Seth Bluestein, a Republican, emphasize that their roles require nonpartisan execution rather than adherence to party lines. Omar Sabir, chair of the commissioners’ board, expressed readiness for the upcoming vote, noting that the agency has assembled election activity boxes containing poll books, rule books, posters, and pens for each of the city’s 1,700 precincts.
Yet the logistical challenge of running elections in Philadelphia has increasingly intersected with intense national politics. President Donald Trump has singled out the city in every presidential campaign since 2016, repeatedly leveling accusations of widespread corruption and fraud without substantive evidence, particularly concerning mail-in voting. Following the 2020 election, as mail ballots cut into his lead, Trump lashed out at Philadelphia and Detroit, creating an atmosphere that local officials say has had severe personal costs.
Both Deeley and Bluestein have faced harassment and death threats. Deeley recalled having to leave her home during the 2020 election to live in a hotel amid protests outside the Convention Center. Describing how the job has changed, Deeley noted that running elections used to resemble the work of a wedding planner, where machines were deployed, votes were cast, and the equipment was stored away until the next cycle. Today, election administrators must contend with the possibility of being targeted by federal pressure or facing criminal charges simply for performing their statutory duties.
In the wake of returning to the White House, Trump has renewed calls for federal involvement in local elections, posting on social media that Philadelphia results would take weeks to rig. An executive order signed by Trump in March aimed to restrict mail-in ballot delivery by the Postal Service and directed the Attorney General to investigate and potentially prosecute state and local officials issuing ballots to ineligible voters. While the Supreme Court blocked the order from taking effect for the midterms, the directives have added a layer of anxiety for local administrators. Bluestein, however, maintains that he has not given the threat second thought, viewing it as unrealistic, while Deeley asserts she refuses to let potential retribution dictate her work.
Another point of friction involves the timeline for counting votes. Under Pennsylvania state law, election officials are barred from beginning the pre-canvass of mail-in ballots until election morning when polls open at 7:00 a.m. Workers cannot even review or open the outer envelopes of the roughly 375,000 mail ballots anticipated in a major cycle until that time. In 2020, processing those ballots involved more than a million pieces of paper and extended the count until the Saturday after Election Day. Officials hope to conclude the count by midday Wednesday for upcoming cycles, emphasizing that accuracy remains the priority over speed.
Officials also addressed the prospect of federal agents or law enforcement appearing at polling places. Pennsylvania law prohibits officers or federal agents from being within 100 feet of polling locations, and Bluestein noted that the city’s law department has developed a response plan for any potential disturbances on Election Day, encompassing all possible scenarios.
Despite the friction with federal authorities and the challenge of countering misinformation regarding mail-in voting—which has seen only a handful of prosecuted cases in the city, the largest centering on about four dozen votes—local officials continue outreach efforts. Bluestein works directly with local Republicans to build trust and confidence in the administration of the vote. Meanwhile, Shanna Fields oversees poll worker training for the city, noting that about 7,200 people have already signed up to work, nearing the goal of 8,000. These workers attend training sessions and serve long hours on Election Day, supported by administrative staff acting as an immediate safety net.
Once voting concludes and the results are tallied, the count undergoes an official audit, and preparations for the subsequent election cycle begin almost immediately.
