Michael Swayze's Community Resources

Tag: Chris Rabb

  • Voter Engagement in Mt. Airy

    Knock Doors in Mt. Airy

    Time is growing short. Sign up to help elect Chris Rabb to Congress, elect Chris Johnson as our State Rep, and return State Senator Art Haywood to Harrisburg.  Opportunity awaits to canvas in Mt. Airy. Sign up, here. A duty of voter engagement activists and Committeepeople, or soon to be, is to make voting simpler. As we go about informing, educating, and canvassing our neighbors please share the information below.

    Local Satellite Election Office and Dropbox Locations

    The dropbox for the 22nd Ward is located at Pleasant Playground, 6757 Chew Avenue (intersection of Slocum Street). Our local Satellite Election Office (SEO) is located at 5301 Chew Avenue. The SEO is open M-F 9am – 5pm and Sa-Su 10am – 4pm. Yes, open on the weekend. Their phone number is 215-686-7808.

    A listing of all SEOs throughout Philadelphia is available, here.

    Instructions for a Mail-in Ballot

    There are four steps for completing and returning your mail ballot: 

    1. Read the instructions and mark your ballot with a blue or black pen. There may be races on the back of your ballot, so be sure to check both sides.
    2. Place your ballot in the yellow envelope marked “official election ballot.” The ballot must be placed in this envelope for it to be counted.
    3. Place the yellow envelope in the larger return envelope. You must sign and date the larger envelope before you return it to your county board of elections.
    4. Return your completed ballot to your county elections office – either by mail, in person, or in an officially designated drop box – by 8 p.m. May 19. Mail ballots received after that time will not be counted. 

    Remember: You are the only person permitted to return your ballot unless you have a disability and designate someone in writing to return your ballot for you.

    Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, April 27, 2026 email

    Designated Agent Form

    You can help a voter by using this form to 1) pick up and return an application for a mail-in or absentee ballot; 2) pick up and return a mail-in or absentee ballot. The voter completes the top section of the Designated Agent Form and the person acting as the Designated Agent completes the bottom portion.  The form is available for downloading at https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/vote/resources/documents-and-forms/Authorize-Designated-Agent-for-Mail-in-or-Absentee-Ballot.pdf. 

    Curing Ballots

    The Philadelphia Board of Elections has received mail-in and absentee ballots with various issues that may prevent them from being counted in the upcoming May 19, 2026 Primary Election. However, Philadelphia is among a number of counties that allow voters to “fix” their ballot so it can be accepted. The City Commissioners maintain an on-going, updated list of potentially flawed ballots. Consult the Latest News section of their website then view the latest list in either Pdf or Excel version. Read their page, 2026 Primary Election: Unverifiable Identification, Undeliverable, and/or Potentially Flawed Ballots, here. 

    Various reasons are associated with these flagged ballots. They include: undeliverable, id not verified, no signature, or no secrecy envelope. The City Commissioners strongly urge that voters on the list request a replacement ballot by visiting one of the city’s Satellite Election Offices. (Ours is located at 5301 Chew Avenue.)

    As of May 7th, 500 ballots are in question. Check the list regularly to notify voters in your Ward/Division so their ballot can be “cured”. Designated Agent Forms are particularly useful for those who are unable to visit an SEO personally.

    For additional background, read a recent Billy Penn article.

  • Voters’ Dilemma in New House District 200: RepRabb or Izzy Fitzgerald?

    The following blog was written May 2, 2022 by Maurice Sampson II, a fellow Democratic Committeeperson in Philadelphia, PA. Reprinted with permission.

    I live in Mount Airy and received a very confusing postcard the other day calling for the re-election of State Representative Isabella Fitzgerald in the 200th legislative district. Wait a minute. I live in the 200th legislative district. Rep.Chris Rabb has been my representative since 2017 so how can I be “re-electing” Isabella Fitzgerald?

    Rep. Rabb has been amazingly responsive to the needs in House District (HD) 200 and a leader in the State Legislature on the issues important to me. Why are State Senator Art Haywood, Congressman Dwight Evans, Ninth District City Councilmember Cherelle Parker, and other elected officials I respect supporting a woman I’ve never met, and against Rep. Rabb – a man who has earned my trust and respect as my State Representative?

    It took me more than a couple of hours of research but I figured it out. Here’s what’s going on:

    Legislative redistricting is pitting two competent elected officials against each other. Rep. Fitzgerald has been the elected representative from HD203 since 2016, the same time Chris Rabb was elected in neighboring HD200. Redistricting shifted the boundaries, annexing 16 Divisions of the former HD 203, including where Rep Fitzgerald resides, into HD200. No longer a resident of the District, Rep. Fitzgerald is not eligible to represent HD203. Contrary to her campaign literature, she is not running for re-election. She is the challenger and Rep Rabb is the incumbent in HD 200.

    Representative Isabella Fitzgerald is a long-time and beloved Philadelphia Democratic Party stalwart. Chris Rabb is an independent, progressive Democrat who does not toe the line for the Philadelphia Democratic Party. He has and continues to be targeted for defeat. In addition, Representative Fitzgerald is also the Democratic Ward leader in the 10th Ward, a former staffer to Congressman Dwight Evans, and was elected to replace Evans in the HD203, when Evans was elected to Congress. Her support also includes Bob Brady, Chair of the Philadelphia Democratic Party, and Ward Leaders whose geography comprises the HD200 and the part of the 4th State Senatorial District that lies in Northwest Philadelphia, represented by progressive Haywood, who is also up for re-election. He must support Fitzgerald or commit political suicide. It is a devious and brilliant strategy that offers the greatest challenge to date to Chris Rabb’s formidable campaign organization. Chris can win if his base remains loyal and turns out to vote in high numbers. It is likely to be a close race.

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