The Brief: Millennials Didn’t Vote This Year, Like At All

Election Day in Philadelphia | Photo by AP/Matt Rourke

1. Voter turnout among millennials was abysmal in the mayoral election.

The gist: Only 12 percent of registered voters between the ages of 18 and 34 cast a ballot in Philadelphia’s mayoral election, according to newly released data from the City Commissioners office. Millennials make up the largest bloc of registered voters in the city, though you wouldn’t know it on Election Day. As BillyPenn reported, “There are 71,000 more registered millennials than people age 35-to-49, 82,000 more than people age 50-to-64 and 140,000 more than people age 65 and up. And yet those respective age groups beat the millennials in voter turnout by about 20,000, 53,000 and 42,000.”

Why it matters: This is lame, obviously. But we don’t know how lame it is. The City Commissioners office could not provide BillyPenn with data on how various age groups turned out in the last competitive mayoral primary in 2007. Turnout among millennials was better in 2015 than in 2011, but that’s apples and oranges, since incumbent Mayor Michael Nutter did not face a serious challenger in that primary (sorry, Milton Street).

2. Labor leaders are launching a preemptive strike against a proposal to possibly outsource nursing services.

The gist: Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan, Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO leader Pat Eiding, and powerful electricians union chief John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty are all lining up against a plan to possibly outsource nursing in the city’s schools. The school district has issued a request for proposals from companies that provide health care services, though Superintendent William Hite says officials haven’t made a decision about whether they will use private nurses, according to the Inquirer.

Why it matters: Philadelphia’s schools only have 183 nurses, which is 100 fewer than they had just four years ago. Hite says outsourcing could provide additional health care services to students during a time of tight budgets. But labor groups and some public school parents say that an outside company couldn’t compare to a staff of dedicated, unionized, full-time nurses. “How could you think replacing school nurses could possibly help children?” asked parent Sabrina Jones at a protest against the proposal Wednesday. Sidenote: After most of the city’s labor groups put aside their differences last month and joined together to help Jim Kenney win the Democratic mayoral primary, it’s noteworthy that disparate unions such as the teachers and electricians are continuing to work together.

3. Council is moving forward on an education funding plan that school district officials say falls short.

The gist: Superintendent Hite says Philadelphia’s school system desperately needs an additional $103 million from City Council. Lawmakers preliminarily approved an education funding plan Wednesday that they say could deliver as much as $100 million to the schools. But district officials say that only $45 million in extra funding is earmarked for the schools, as far as they can tell.

Why it matters: Read Citified’s full report here.

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