“Voter apathy is not just a number on a paper, it is what someone says to you when you knock on their door.”

These are the words of former 7th District City Council candidate, Andrés Celin. In 2023, Celin ran as a progressive Democrat against Quetcy Lozada.

In the past, the 7th district has suffered from low voter turnout. According to Kensington Voice, in the 2024 primary, the 7th and 33rd Wards, which include Fairhill, Harrowgate, and Kensington, remained the two wards with the lowest voter turnout in Philadelphia. In the 7th Ward, fewer than 6% of registered voters voted, and in the 33rd Ward, fewer than 7%, compared to the citywide turnout of 19%.

“It’s been very clear to me, working as a social worker, working in schools, and doing home visits, that a lot of things about the district, especially Kensington, have gotten worse for a lot of people. I’ve been mad about it. And I think people deserve a lot better,” said Celin.

When I searched online for the term “voter apathy”, “political apathy” also appeared in the results, defined as a lack of interest or apathy towards politics. Political apathy can include voter apathy, information apathy, and lack of interest in elections, political events, public meetings, and voting. Voter apathy itself is defined as a lack of interest among voters in the elections of representative democracies.

So why do the numbers cited above exist? Are they due to voter or political apathy, or could they be the result of severed relationships, lack of trust, and candidates’ inability to build confidence amongst their constituents? Whatever the reason, we seem to be left without much more than the hope that politicians will stick to their promises and implement the changes we need to see in our communities.

Celin’s campaign sought to bring a different brand of politics to Kensington. He spoke to us about his experience knocking on doors during his run.

“Many conversations with a new candidate is ‘why vote for you?’ Combined with high levels of poverty and less access to voter education, most people rely on who they know — they will vote for the person in power and who is endorsed by the Dems,” he said.

According to Celin, only registered voters are targeted in elections. Because Kensington is a section of the city with fewer resources than others, candidates believe they will not get votes, and so they do not make the effort to appeal to the needs of the community. This results in low voter engagement and high levels of apathy.

When we think of voter apathy, we also have to consider the logistical and systemic limitations that enact barriers to voting.

“During the 2023 election, we saw some irregularities where the polling location was changed last minute and folks in that division weren’t informed. Similarly, I would say there is still probably a need for more translation/interpretation support, and especially for languages other than Spanish. There are also reported cases of those individuals helping with translation either suggesting or pressuring individuals to vote a certain way,” said Celin.

In terms of systemic challenges, Celin explains how the Electoral College can feel unfair to some by eliminating the potential for more candidate choice. 

“The Electoral College made sense for people 200 years ago, but this year it is obsolete and undemocratic. This prevents the possibility of third-party candidates. If you get 50.001% of votes then you get 100% of the presidential win or Electoral College votes. If the winner takes all [process] is structural and happens on all electoral levels, then there is a systematic barrier to third-party candidates.”

Aaron Chancy from Northeast Philly has never voted and says that’s partially because of a prior criminal record. However, he does follow politics.

“For the presidential election, I feel there is no reason [to vote] because when the Electoral College was put in place, it seemed the popular vote didn’t matter. When I saw this with Trump and Hillary in 2016, I was like how did the one who won the Electoral College win? So, I wonder if my vote even matters,” said Chancy. “I would change my stance on voting if someone was not just lying to get into office and was partnering with organizations. On my shirt you see, Xiente, we work with the kids in North Philly. If you are willing to be in the grassroots area working with the kids then I will hear that.”

How do we address growing voter apathy? What solutions can be put in place to increase community members’ trust in and consistency with voting? In the current state of our society, we as community members must put the vote back in our hands or democracy will continue to be run by special interests, and seasoned politicians who may have ulterior motives.

Some spaces, such as Reclaim Philadelphia, offer an opportunity for community members to join the group and select candidates to endorse collectively, give recommendations for casting your vote, and promote paid canvassing opportunities. Other organizations like Committee of Seventy and the PA Working Families Party hold events to engage with other voters and provide voter education. But there are not many spaces for us to convene, discuss, and reflect on each election season.

“[In] my experience as an organizer, people need to feel things changing at a micro level to be able to make the connection between voting and organizing and getting people elected to have hope that participating in the electoral process will change the system. If we do not have spaces for people feeling this disappointment to experience that process of building power, it will be difficult for people to have more faith in elections. I have been in those spaces in the past, currently in those spaces, and hope that more people decide to participate [in] and build those spaces,” said Celin.