Run for Committee Person in 2026

What is the Ward System?

• Philadelphia is divided into 66 geographic regions called Wards, each divided into 10–50 smaller divisions.
• Each division (about 1,700 citywide) is represented by two committee people per political party.
• Committee people are their party's political block captains — the grassroots foundation of the party system.

What is a Committee Person?

A committee person is a volunteer party officer — not a public official or government employee — who serves as their party's representative in a voting division and as a point of contact between voters, elected officials, and the party. Most are paid about $100 per election from party funds, not taxpayer money.

What Do Committee People Do?

Responsibilities vary by ward, but typically include: electing your Ward Leader at the reorganization meeting, endorsing candidates, running voter registration drives, circulating nomination petitions, sharing election info (dates, polling places, candidates), distributing mail ballot applications, recruiting poll watchers, and working with neighbors and community groups to solve local problems.

Who Can Run?

You must be a registered voter in the division you want to represent, and registered with the political party whose seat you're seeking. Committee people serve four-year terms with no term limits.

Note: Unelected city officials and city employees may be prohibited from serving as committee people. Contact the Philadelphia Board of Ethics or Office of the Chief Integrity Officer for details.

Why Does This Matter for Urbanists?

The ward system is where Philadelphia's political power is built from the ground up. Committee people vote for ward leaders, ward leaders make up City Committee, and City Committee endorses candidates for Council and other offices. If you care about housing, transit, public space, and sustainable development, running for committee person is one of the most concrete things you can do to shift the political terrain. The more urbanists plugged into the ward system, the more leverage we all have when it matters — on endorsements, zoning fights, transit funding, all of it.

How Do I Get Started?

Committee person seats are on the ballot May 19, 2026. Talk to your Ward Leader to check for vacancies in your division. Contact 5th Square at info@5thsq.org and we'll help you figure out next steps — whether it's pulling a street list, printing petitions, or connecting with other urbanist candidates in your ward.

Where Do I Get Petitions?

Print blank petitions from the 5th Square website, or pick them up in person at the Board of Elections, City Hall Room 142 (southwest corner). Avoid the Commissioners' website — they've been known to share candidate info with ward leaders.

When Can I Collect Signatures?

February 17 through March 10, 2026 — no exceptions. Check 5thsq.org or the PA Department of State for any updates to these dates.

How Many Signatures Do I Need?

You need 10 valid signatures to get on the ballot for committee person. You should collect at least 30 to be safe in case signatures are challenged. Most people who sign your petition will likely vote for you, so the more the better.

Who Can Collect and Sign?

You can collect signatures yourself and sign your own petition. Any voter registered with your party in your division can also collect signatures on your behalf as a "circulator."

Every party voter in your division can sign petitions for up to two committee person candidates (there are two seats). Collect signatures early in the petition period to maximize the chances that you'll get one of those two signature slots.

What Info Does the Signer Need to Provide?

There are four columns for a signer to complete:

Residents of apartment buildings must include their unit numbers in addition to their street address.

Use a street list to canvass for signatures — it's a list of all registered voters in your division. You'll use it to identify voters of your party and know their names before knocking. Get one from the City Commissioners Office, or 5th Square may be able to provide one for your division.

Avoid Common Mistakes

• Fill the first line of each petition page with a placeholder (like "Mickey Mouse") as a sample signature. Cross it out with a black marker before you file.
• Make sure signers do NOT put their zip code in the date column or use ditto marks in the date column — once someone makes either mistake, it typically cascades down the page.
• You may NOT correct, fix, amend, or edit any signature, under any circumstances.
• If a mistake is made and can't be corrected (crossed off, scribbled over), the signer MUST cross out that entire line and redo the signature from scratch.

Notarization

Both the candidate and circulator portions of all petitions must be notarized before petitions are filed.

• If you collect your own signatures, you need to notarize both the candidate and the circulator affidavits, listing yourself as both.
• If you have a separate circulator, you need to notarize the candidate section and the circulator needs to notarize the circulator section.
• You can find a notary at a bank, at AAA, or with another candidate's campaign for higher office. 5th Square will also work to identify notaries available to help.

Filing Your Petitions

Once notarized, petitions must be filed with the Philadelphia County Board of Elections at City Hall, Room 142.

What Happens After I File?

Staff at the Board of Elections will do a cursory review and may cross off signatures that appear improper. These deletions cannot be reviewed. Then celebrate — you've just completed the process of getting on the ballot as a candidate for office.

Door Knocking Etiquette

• Knock on the door and stand a few steps back.
• Ask for the individual on your street list by name. You'll be more successful if you can say, "Hi, are you ___?"
• Have a clipboard and pens to make it easier for the signer. Keep the pen warm if it's cold out.
• You will inevitably interrupt something — dinner, nap time, whatever. Be polite and apologize if necessary.
• If you can tell there's a baby or a dog, don't ring the doorbell; knock instead.
• Be nice and listen! Explain that you're there to get on the ballot as part of the democratic process.
• Don't overstay your welcome.

Whose Doors Should I Knock?

Using your street list, knock only on the doors of voters in your division who are registered with your party. You can get a street list from the City Commissioners Office, or 5th Square may be able to provide one for your division.

Prepare Your Pitch (But Don't Be Stuck to a Script)

• Prepare a mini-stump speech: introduce yourself, explain what a committee person does, tell the voter why you're running and why you'd be a good fit for the role.
• Remind voters that knocking on doors is part of a committee person's job — you're already demonstrating that you're engaged and prepared for the role.
• Get your pitch down to about three sentences.

What If I'm Asked a Question I Don't Know How to Answer?

• Bring the conversation back to the role of the committee person and the work of the local party.
• If it's a really controversial issue unrelated to the job, say something like: "I have a lot to say about that, but I want you to know that as your committee person I will _____."
• If you're asked about something you're uncomfortable discussing, ask for clarification — it may lead to a better and more productive discussion.

How Do I Deal With Hostile or Rude People?

If someone is hostile, walk away politely. They might be having a tough night, and you don't want them to complain to their neighbors about you.

Leave Materials, Take Contact Info

• Provide voters with a business card or palm card with your name, the office you're running for, the date of the election (May 19, 2026), a picture, your contact info (at least an email), and a "Paid for by NAME" disclosure.
• While collecting signatures, also collect voters' email addresses, especially from voters who signed your petition.

Update Your Street Lists As You Go

After interacting with a voter, annotate your street list based on your sense of their willingness to vote for you — score them 1 (unlikely) to 5 (very likely). This helps you prioritize your GOTV contacts later.