An up close look at how the City Commissioners Office operates

Just a few weeks ago, it was announced that there will be a new Chair for the Philadelphia City Commissioners, Commissioner Omar Sabir.

- Thera Martin

Mind you, in Philadelphia, we have three elected individuals who oversee and plan out the election process for our city twice a year. Some things are very standard and in place, and people don’t have to guess as to what to do next. On the other hand, when you’re talking about getting people registered to vote and then getting them to actually cast their ballots on election day or before election day via mail, it's more than a notion.

Our three Commissioners, who all ran unopposed in the November 2023 General Election, are Omar Sabir and Lisa Deeley, both Democrats, and Seth Bluestein, a Republican. Out of the three of them, one gets to be the Chairman--another gets to be the Vice Chairman, and the lone Republican, well, he gets to be a Commissioner. What an assignment, being tasked with overseeing the city’s elections and voter registration. I think Omar Sabir is up for the assignment. In fact, out of the three City Commissioners, Omar has been the most visible, the one who has most been seen out in the streets daily, promoting voter registration and voter education. Seems right that he’s the new Chair.