Voters arrived at the Tomaszewski Funeral Home in Port Richmond Tuesday morning with concerns about various issues, including public safety, immigration, and health care.
Renata Chaves, 23, said she’s worried about family members who are struggling to get legal documentation. She’s also worried about women’s rights and hopes her generation will go to the polls.
“We can still fight against it,” she said. “We can still fight against a lot of the hate that's given towards us as Latinas and women.”
While canvassing earlier this month, 47-year-old resident Ashley Thomas said she was encouraged by how many of her neighbors, including younger people, had promised to vote.
“I feel like the younger kids are already better at critical thinking,” she said. “It might be too late for some of our grandparents, but we just hope that they vote for their loved ones’ interests.”
The funeral home had a line just before 9 a.m. It was around that time that police responded to a call from the polling location to “Investigate Person,” the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) confirmed via email.
Two women distributing Republican sample ballots at the polling place said the police officers asked them to leave.
The officers took a police report but did not ask anyone to leave, PPD Deputy Commissioner Pedro Rosario said via text. He said the individuals “were handing out items that were not offensive.”
Generally, police officers who are not voting are not permitted inside polling places, according to state law. They are legally required to stay at least 100 feet away unless they need to clear an obstruction or “maintain order.”
“Uniformed peace officers, such as constables or sheriffs, stationed in a polling place may have the effect of intimidating voters,” the policy reads.
The District Attorney’s Office said their Election Task Force received no complaints about the incident. If a disturbance occurs at a polling place, citizens are directed to call the task force hotline at 215-686-9641.
Hank Moleski, 68, arrived at the polling location shortly after the police visit and overheard other voters discussing it.
“I don't want to get into all that political stuff, but things just don't seem right,” he said.
The incident reflects an overall uneasiness Moleski feels about the election and the state of the country.
“Things aren't good for people right now, morally,” he said. “As a kid growing up, you could walk anywhere you wanted to without fear … it just ain’t there no more.”
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