Our Mission:
Open Wards
We are a group of Democratic and Republican committee people and Ward Leaders in Philadelphia who are working toward more open, accessible and democratic wards.
Our Mission
Open Wards Philly is an effort by both newly elected and veteran committee people, and some of the ward leaders they helped elect, to create a better ward system across Philadelphia. To that end, we have developed a set of foundational principles that are rooted in democratic processes, direct representation, and the notion that committee people ought to be empowered in their efforts to support and represent their constituents.
Why It Matters
We believe that ward processes and procedures should be rooted in democratic principles. We believe that committee people, who are the direct representatives of their constituents, have the right to hear from all candidates and vote on their ward’s endorsements. And we believe that in a primary election, committee people should be able to personally support any candidate of their party, free from retribution and retaliation.
66
wards in philadelphia
Each of which contains between 11 and 51 smaller divisions. Your division determines where you vote, but the political parties also use the system to wield influence in the city, especially to influence elections. They do this by using the wards and divisions as the framework for a system of grassroots politics. It’s worth noting that the wards vary significantly by population because the boundaries haven’t been redrawn in over 60 years.
6,812
CommitteepeRSON SEATS
Each division is capable of electing two representatives for each of the two major parties: These are the committee people. A committee person is kind of like a political block captain. They are the reps for the city Democratic and Republican parties in your voting division, which is typically just the 4-5 city blocks around your house. They are the foot-soldiers in this system of local, party-driven grassroots politics.