Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Question 1, Legal Defense of Registered Community Organizations Amendment (April 2024)

Philadelphia Question 1
Election date April 23, 2024
Topic City governance and Local zoning, land use, and development
Status Approved
Type Referral

Philadelphia Question 1 was on the ballot as a referral in Philadelphia on April 23, 2024. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported this charter amendment to require Philadelphia to provide legal defense of Registered Community Organizations (RCOs) in connection with legal claims made against RCOs due to their direct participation in the zoning variance process.

A "no" vote opposed this charter amendment to require Philadelphia to provide legal defense of Registered Community Organizations (RCOs) in connection with legal claims made against RCOs due to their direct participation in the zoning variance process.

Election results

Philadelphia Question 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		119,295	66.64%
No		59,718	33.36%

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 require the City to provide for the indemnification and defense of registered community organizations in connection with claims made against them arising directly out of their lawful participation in the City’s zoning variance process?

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

Rules about how land and buildings can be used and built are called zoning. Registered community organizations, or “RCOs,” are community groups that provide input on how those zoning rules are applied in their communities. For example, RCOs provide input when a landowner requests an exception from standard zoning rules, called a variance. Sometimes lawsuits are brought against RCOs related to their participation in the variance request process, which can be costly and limit community input. If you vote “yes” on this ballot question, that means you approve of requiring the City to devise a system to help RCOs pay for the costs of defending against such lawsuits, which may include the costs associated with losing or settling the lawsuits.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Arguments

• Former Council President Darrell Clarke (D): "I don’t believe that it’s fair for us to require that [RCOs] be participating in the zoning without any support from the city."

Opposition

Arguments

• Mo Rushdy, president of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia: "This bill gives RCOs a blank check to fight developers. If this bill passes, every single project will be appealed indefinitely, which increases development costs and the chances that nothing will get built."

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Pennsylvania

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. An individual who is in line at the time 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

Pennsylvania practices automatic voter registration.

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

Pennsylvania does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of the district in which they are registering for at least 30 days before the next election.

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. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. 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

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 October 2024. Click here to ensure you have current information.

“

Approved forms of photo identification include: 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 Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government Firearm permit Current utility bill Current bank statement Current paycheck Government check

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2024
• City governance on the ballot

• Philadelphia County measures

Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania 2024 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Pennsylvania
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

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