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Today's newsletter is 894 words, a 3.5-minute read.

Philadelphia is among the more than half of Pennsylvania counties that notify voters if they submit flawed mail-in ballots and let them correct the errors before polls close, per an ACLU analysis.

Why it matters: Thousands of mail-in ballots have been rejected for technical errors since Pennsylvania enacted mail-in voting in 2020. Those votes could be at risk in a battleground state with tight margins this presidential election.

The big picture: Because state law doesn't dictate specific "notice and cure" policies, each county operates under its own rules about whether to allow voters to correct ballots that aren't signed, dated or placed inside secrecy envelopes.

• Voting rights groups, including the ACLU of Pennsylvania, have fought to eliminate a requirement forcing state officials to reject improperly dated or undated mail-in ballots.
• But the state Supreme Court declined to weigh in on a case that could've decided the issue ahead of next month's election.

The intrigue: The rejection rate declines dramatically when counties notify voters and allow them to fix their errors, per a Spotlight PA analysis.

How it works: ACLU PA filed records requests with each county for its notice-and-cure policy and voter system data.

• All but a handful of counties turned over the information.

Zoom in: In Philadelphia, if you submit a mail-in ballot with a missing secrecy envelope or a mistake on the outer envelope, your name will be added to a list on the City Commissioners' website.

Zoom out: Bucks, Montgomery and Chester counties all notify voters who make mistakes on their mail-in ballots and give them a chance to fix those issues so their votes are counted.

Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of Pennsylvania counties, including York and Schuylkill, still do not notify voters when there are problems with their ballots, per ACLU PA.

What we're watching: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will soon decide a case out of Washington County about whether election officials are required to notify voters when their mail-in ballots are disqualified.

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The Philly metro has one of the highest women-to-men ratios among major U.S. cities.  

Why it matters: Gender differences — if they grow — could help drive deep rifts in American society.

Driving the news: The Philly metro area has 105.5 women for every 100 men on average, per the U.S. Census Bureau. 

• For regions with populations above 1.5 million, Philly's gender gap is among the largest in the country — outdone only by Atlanta and Baltimore.  

Between the lines: Big cities and areas with college campuses typically have more women than men, the Census Bureau said in a report last year.

• There's a wide gender gap in college enrollment: Women made up 58% of the total undergraduate population in 2021.
• Another possible explanation for the gender gaps in Philly, Atlanta and Baltimore is mass incarceration, which has removed hundreds of thousands of men from Black neighborhoods.

Zoom out: Men outnumber women the most in San Jose, California (103.9 men per 100 women), followed by Austin, Texas, and San Diego. 

• The San Diego metro area, dotted with military bases, has almost 104 men for every 100 women, according to U.S. Census data. Men make up more than 80% of America's armed forces.
• Silicon Valley and Austin host a big share of U.S. tech companies, which employ a workforce that's almost two-thirds male.

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🎃 Leave the intricate pumpkin primping to the professionals at Chadds Ford's Great Pumpkin Carve. Local artists transform dozens of pumpkins tonight, then they'll go on display Friday and Saturday. 

• Plus, there's a haunted trail, raffle, food and drinks and live music. Tickets: $15 adults, $5 children (7-17 years old) and free for kids 6 and under.

📽️ Oh, snap. The Philadelphia Film Society kicks off its 33rd event tonight. 

• The festival, which runs through Oct. 27, includes more than 100 features, shorts and documentaries, including many from local filmmakers. 
• Screenings held at the Philadelphia Film Center, PFS East Theater in Old City and The Bourse.

🎨 Calling all artists, bakers, jewelers. Bok hosts its free open house on Friday from 6-9pm. Drink, buy and enjoy a nightcap at the rooftop bar. 

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Did you know you can become an Axios Philadelphia member starting at $50 a year?

The impact: Members support the local reporting team that gets local readers like you smarter, faster on the news unfolding in your backyard.

Become an Axios Philadelphia member.

📜 Philly could soon have a street named after Caroline LeCount, the first Black woman to pass the city's teaching exam. 

• City Council will take up legislation today that would also begin the process of renaming a street dedicated to Roger Taney, the Supreme Court chief justice who penned the majority opinion in the Dred Scott case. (CBS)

🚨 Complaints are rising about police using overdose-reversing drug naloxone on individuals in Kensington who weren't overdosing. 

• Police say it's safer to administer naloxone than not. But the life-saving medication can immediately send people who use drugs into painful withdrawals. (Inquirer) 

🍟 Former President Trump is expected to serve as a fry cooker during a campaign stop Sunday at a local McDonald's. (NBC10)

Philly's own Jill Scott has gotten the city's mural treatment. 

Driving the news: The Grammy-winner, poet and actress is featured on a new artwork, "Luminaries: The Coronation," emblazoned on the front facade of Philadelphia High School For Girls along North Broad Street. 

Zoom in: The mural is a nod to the alumnae of the district's criteria-based school, which includes "Jilly from Philly."

• Artist Patrick Dougher designed the artwork.

Did you know you can become an Axios Philadelphia member starting at $50 a year?

The impact: Members support the local reporting team that gets local readers like you smarter, faster on the news unfolding in your backyard.

Become an Axios Philadelphia member.

🙂 Isaac believes an ounce of grateful eliminates 10 pounds of hateful.

😩 Mike can't wait for all the political ads and mailings to stop after Nov. 5.

Today's newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia.