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Committee of Seventy focuses on a variety of issues affecting voters in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Browse the issues we're currently working on, or review our archive for ongoing and past issues.
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The Committee of Seventy was established in 1904 to combat corruption in Philadelphia, playing a major role in the adoption of civil service reforms and the passage of the 1919 and 1951 Home Rule Charters. A nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, Seventy does not endorse candidates or represent any special interests.
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For over one hundred years, the Committee of Seventy has been the voice of good government and reform. For press inquiries, please contact us at 215-557-3600.
Build Your Ballot

Resources and Lessons

This curriculum, produced by a Philadelphia social studies teacher, helps students learn about the history of American voting rights, how students can evaluate who they would vote for, and then practice casting their ballot in a mock election. This curriculum has two weeks of lessons, plus extension activities, for teachers to incorporate into their classroom.

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Lesson 4: Researching Candidates

While students wait for their mail-in ballot or to vote in-person on Election Day, they can find out what offices and candidates are on their ballot. (45 minutes)

Lesson 5: Finding Partisan Information on Candidates

Students explore candidate campaign websites and other sources to investigate policy actions by candidates on issues they care about. (45 minutes)

Lesson 6: Completing and Returning a Mail Ballot

2-3 weeks after applying for it, students will learn how to complete and return their mail-in ballot. (20 min)

Lesson 7: Voting in-person

Students learn how to find their polling place and to cast their ballot in person. They will also learn how to cast a provisional ballot as a last resort. (20 minutes)

Candidate Interviews

Host a candidate interview in your classroom. (60 minutes)

Ranked Choice Voting

Discuss and practice ranked choice voting with students. (45 minutes)

Exploring Political Endorsements

Political endorsements are an influential source of information for voters. This lesson discusses how students can use them. (30 minutes)

Serve as a poll worker

Poll workers are crucial to Election Day. Many counties accept 17-year-olds to work the polls, and get paid for doing so. (10 minutes)