Over the past few days, I’ve been watching as various candidates prepare their nomination papers and submit them to the City Commissioners. It’s been clear that the process is both cumbersome and confusing. While challengers are the ones who usually have the most trouble, Bob Brady has shown that even the most seasoned politicians can get confused.

The problem with local elections goes far beyond gathering and filing petitions. Every part of the process seems to be wrought with confusion and difficulty. How many good people have looked at this mess and decided not to seek public office? We clearly need to reform the basic way in which Philadelphia conducts its elections.

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According to the city charter, the City Commissioners are responsible for overseeing municipal elections. They test the voting machines, maintain voter databases, and oversee voter registration. As far as I can tell, they are also responsible for writing most of the forms that confuse the hell out of candidates. All of these problems should make the current commissioners think about how their office could be more responsive and transparent.

The City Commissioners have come under scrutiny before. A few years back, Ed Goppelt from HallWatch.org got into a fight with Commissioner Marge Tartaglione because she refused to provide electronic copies of polling locations. Although the information was eventually made available, it’s clear that the office can be quite resistant to reform or citizen input.

The recent problems with financial disclosure forms are just the tip of the iceberg. People concerned with the integrity and transparency of our electoral process should take this opportunity to call for major changes. While there are obviously many possible reforms, we should focus on making it easier to register to vote and run for office. Removing barriers to participation should be the top priority of city commissioners.