Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Question 1, Division of Workforce Solutions Amendment (May 2023)

Philadelphia Question 1
Election date May 16, 2023
Topic City governance and Local charter amendments
Status Approved
Type Referral

Philadelphia Question 1 was on the ballot as a referral in Philadelphia on May 16, 2023. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported creating the Division of Workforce Solutions within the Department of Commerce, which duties would include providing information related to job training, skill development, and employment opportunities.

A "no" vote opposed creating the Division of Workforce Solutions within the Department of Commerce, which duties would include providing information related to job training, skill development, and employment opportunities.

Election results

Philadelphia Question 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		174,950	67.32%
No		84,912	32.68%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 1 was as follows:

“

Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Division of Workforce Solutions within the Department of Commerce and to define its duties?

”

Path to the ballot

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the Philadelphia City Council.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Pennsylvania

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Pennsylvania.

How to vote in Pennsylvania

Poll times

In Pennsylvania, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Pennsylvania, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next election, a resident of the district in which he or she is registering for at least 30 days before the next election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election. The deadline for registering to vote is 15 days before the election.

Registration can be done online, in person, or by mail. Prospective voters can register in person at the county voter registration office or at a number of state agencies, including Pennsylvania Department of Transportation centers. The Pennsylvania voter registration application is available online and can be mailed to the county voter registration office. On September 19, 2023, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced that the state had implemented automatic voter registration.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Pennsylvania practices automatic voter registration. Eligible individuals applying for or renewing a driver's license or ID card are automatically registered to vote.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Pennsylvania implemented an online voter registration system in 2015. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Pennsylvania does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be "a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district for at least 30 days before the next election," according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Pennsylvania does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Three states, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Pennsylvania Department of State allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote. Pennsylvania does not generally require voters to present identification while voting. However, a voter who is voting at a polling place for the first time must present identification.

Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of December 2025. Click here to ensure you have current information.

“

When voting at a polling place for the first time, you must show proof of identification, either with photo or other ID. You may use one of the following forms of photo identification, so long as it is not expired, canceled, or revoked: Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card ID issued by any Commonwealth agency ID issued by the U.S. Government U.S. passport U.S. Armed Forces ID Student ID Employee ID If you do not have a photo ID, you can use a non-photo identification that includes your name and address. Confirmation issued by the county voter registration office, such as a voter registration card Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government Firearm permit Current utility bill Current bank statement Paycheck Government check

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2023
• Home rule charter ballot measures

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania 2023 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Pennsylvania
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

Footnotes

Local ballot measures, Pennsylvania

Counties

Adams • Allegheny • Armstrong • Beaver • Bedford • Berks • Blair • Bradford • Bucks • Butler • Cambria • Cameron • Carbon • Centre • Chester • Clarion • Clearfield • Clinton • Columbia • Crawford • Cumberland • Dauphin • Delaware • Elk • Erie • Fayette • Forest • Franklin • Fulton • Greene • Huntingdon • Indiana • Jefferson • Juniata • Lackawanna • Lancaster • Lawrence • Lebanon • Lehigh • Luzerne • Lycoming • McKean • Mercer • Mifflin • Monroe • Montgomery • Montour • Northampton • Northumberland • Perry • Philadelphia • Pike • Potter • Schuylkill • Snyder • Somerset • Sullivan • Susquehanna • Tioga • Union • Venango • Warren • Washington • Wayne • Westmoreland • Wyoming • York

Year

Click here for a list of local ballot measure election dates in Pennsylvania.