Comptroller, DA up for re-election

Students registered to vote in Philadelphia can vote at several campus locations in today's elections for comptroller and district attorney. Campus polling sites will be at the Dental School, Irvine Auditorium, High Rise South and High Rise East. The candidates for city comptroller are incumbent Jonathan Saidel (D) and Herbert Linsenberg (R). Incumbent District Attorney Lynne Abraham (D) is running against Charles Cunningham (R). Today's elections have hardly caused a ripple in the city, much less at the University. College senior Dana Lynch, chairperson of College Republicans, said that while he has been generating a "serious get-out-the-vote drive," he does not expect more than 50 students – including Democrats and Republicans – to vote. Still, party leaders stress that today's races have a greater impact on the University than many students think. Sheryl George-MacAlpine, Democratic leader of the 27th Ward, said election officials are not expecting a large student turnout "because the campus is not as open as it was during the presidential election." With small funds, the candidates have not been able to sink money into their campaigns. Still, George-MacAlpine stressed that the office of city comptroller, which is responsible for reviewing the University's fiscal management, is crucial to the University. "Imagine you have a comptroller that was completely antithetical to the University," George-MacAlpine said. "[The comptroller] would find a reason not to support the University's efforts." George-MacAlpine also emphasized that the office of city comptroller could be crucial to the University's proposed purchase of the Civic Center. George-MacAlpine described Saidel as "favorable" toward the University. Lynch said Linsenberg, a University Law School alumnus, would be an asset to the University. "Linsenberg is [an] alum from [the] Law School [and] I guess that would be a better way for closer relations since he knows Penn," Lynch said. George-MacAlpine said the office of district attorney is important to the University community, because students would want a "DA who would be understanding of a student's life and would not be overly punitive." Lynch said the University would want a DA who, in light of "recent bomb threats and abduction of one of the students," will be "really tough on crime." "Penn has always enjoyed a good relationship with the city," George-MacAlpine added. Voters registered in the 18th and the 21st divisions will vote in High Rise East. The 18th division includes all housing on Locust Walk, as well as High Rise North and DuBois House. The 21st division comprises High Rise East and Meyer Hall. Voters registered in the 19th and 22nd districts will vote at Irvine Auditorium. The 19th division includes Hill House and the 22nd division is the Quad and Stouffer House. Members of the 20th division, which includes High Rise South, modern languages House and Van Pelt College House, will vote in High Rise South. Students who live in division 3, which is Kings Court, English House and the Graduate Towers, will vote at International House, while students in division 8, between 38th and 40th Streets on Spruce Street, will vote at the Dental School. Students who have moved since they registered must vote in the district in which they originally were registered.