'We're In A Crisis And Have To Try Everything' Phila. Voter Could Win $10K
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Larry Platt, the co-founder and editor of the Philadelphia Citizen, explained his plan to offer a $10,000 prize tomorrow to one voter in Philadelphia in order to encourage a higher voter turnout in the city.
Platt, talking with Dom Giordano on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, hopes the chance to win the money gets more people to the polls.
"This idea of using a financial windfall to incentivize voting might not be the answer, but we're in a crisis and we've got to try everything. The idea for tomorrow is, at some random time, when a random voter goes to vote, they might just run into me holding an outsized, large, ceremonial check for $10,000 like Ed McMahon and they will win $10,000 just for doing their civic duty of showing up and voting."
He stated he feels the need to do something as the number of voters continues to decline, cycle after cycle.
"The lack of civic participation is a national issue. The mid-term in 2014 was the lowest voter turnout in 72 years in this country, but in Philadelphia it is particularly bad because, in part, of the oligarchy of one party political rule. That is the consequence of an actual deal that went down in which the Republicans agreed not to compete in exchange for the crumbs on patronage."
Platt said the plan is in place and he will award the prize in person at some point tomorrow.
"There are 1,600 polling places. We're putting all of them in a computer program and getting random response and then, at random time, we're showing up at a polling place, the first person who walks out, I'll say to them, did you just vote, they'll say, yes, I'll say, you just won $10,000. We won't pay them right then. They'll sign something and they'll get paid upon the vote certification because we need to make sure that they, in fact, voted and that they're not a relative of mine or a candidate."
