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[Becca Starr/The Daily Pennsylvanian] College junior Hershel Eisenberger (right) votes at Steinberg-Dietrich Hall on Tuesday under the supervision of Judge of Elections Nassar Farid Mufdi Ruiz, a College junior (left). Eisenberger is one of the fi

Nineteen Penn students are now elected Philadelphia officials, according to initial figures from Tuesday's municipal elections.

As a result, they will be in charge of making sure elections run smoothly in the coming years.

Of these students, six Democrats and one Republican will serve as judges of elections.

Democrats also took five majority and two minority inspector positions, while Republicans grabbed two majority and three minority inspector posts.

Students involved in running the elections reported an excellent voter turnout -- for a non-presidential election year.

"To get a turnout like this is unprecedented and amazing," said Don Engel, a fifth-year Physics graduate student who will serve as judge of elections for the 20th division of the local Ward. "We got around 500 to 600 people voting on campus."

But this turnout pales in comparison to the turnout at last year's elections.

"Of course it's [a] low turnout, because it's a municipal election and no one cares," College junior David Back said.

Nevertheless, student leaders were pleased with the elections and attributed their success to the high number of student candidates in the 27th Ward, which encompasses Penn. The ward is split into 23 divisions, and each has its own elections judge.

"For one of the first times in recent history, we installed students in important positions," said College junior Ezra Billinkoff, who was elected judge of elections for the 18th division -- which votes at Steinberg-Dietrich Hall.

Seeing their peers on the ballot allowed students to feel a personal investment in the election results, said College junior Dean Panayides, who was elected judge of elections for the ward's 21st division.

College sophomore Carine Carmy, co-chairwoman of Penn Leads the Vote -- a group dedicated to Election Day organization -- said Tuesday's vote ran smoothly.

"A lot of people actually took interest," Carmy said. "The location of the polling places helped."

Carmy said all polling locations were located within a five-minute walking distance from most students' residences.

College senior Dan De Rosa, who coordinated voter outreach efforts for the Penn Democrats, said the high turnout is particularly significant because some people who voted in Philadelphia last year likely voted in New Jersey on Tuesday to influence the gubernatorial race.

The newly elected officials are already gearing up for next year.

College junior Deena Feinstein -- who was elected judge of elections for the 11th district -- said she looks forward to implementing her ideas on a future Election Day.

"After my difficult experience poll-watching in my division last year, I am very excited and glad to be in charge of the election this time around," Feinstein said. "I will make sure to run the election without partisan preferences, to make sure that every voter gets to fulfill their right with no impediments."

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