Is school closed in your area for the election?

[overcome]

I've heard some schools will be closed for the election tomorrow. I wish! I am most definitely voting, but don't know how I will avoid long lines (since I have to work @ school!).

What's up where you live?

[SnuggleBuggles]

It varies almost from school to school around here!

Beth

[ett]

No school here tomorrow.

[kayte]

The schools in our area are not closed as their are enough state building to house the election sites. In other areas of the state where schools are polling places, the students are off.

[caleymama]

Yes, schools are closed around here.

[cdlamis]

Wow! Living in Arizona my entire life, I didn't even know that some schools close! Just curious, is it because the schools are needed as election sites or is it a school holiday to make it easier for people to vote?

[LarsMal]

Growing up, schools were always closed on election day (MD 'burb of DC). Our county is closed tomorrow (Central VA area). I don't know about the rest of the area, but ours are definitely closed.

And it's supposed to rain...grrr...better get my golf umbrella and poncho ready!!

ETA: DH thinks it should be a National holiday so most workers don't have to worry about taking the day off.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Wow! Living in Arizona my entire life, I didn't even know that some schools close! Just curious, is it because the schools are needed as election sites or is it a school holiday to make it easier for people to vote?

I think ds's school is closed b/c it is a polling place and the polls are set up in spaces the kids would need. That's my guess. Same city, different school but when I was in jr. high they had voting in our auditorium but school was open b/c we never used that part of the building.

Beth

[LarsMal]

Wow! Living in Arizona my entire life, I didn't even know that some schools close! Just curious, is it because the schools are needed as election sites or is it a school holiday to make it easier for people to vote?

Our county uses some schools as voting sites, as well as libraries and other locations. Our libraries are closed as well.

[pb&j]

Yes. Many schools around here are polling places. They don't always close on election day, but for presidential races and other big ones (governor), they are closed b/c there is so much traffic in and out of the school buildings and parking lots that it's not feasible to have school. Schools here were closed yesterday, too for a teacher workday.

[kijip]

No, school is open and I am working. I often take the day off to volunteer every 2 years but with mail in voting being as common as it is here, I decided I just did not see the need. I have to be away from work all day Weds for a training so that's my rationalization I guess.

It seems like school being closed would be a hardship for voters who have kids in school and have to work themselves at jobs with little flexibility or no paid time off?

[rlu]

I don't have it handy now, but I get an email at work telling me which days each month are state holidays by state. Tomorrow is not a state holiday for CA. DS preschool is also a polling place and school is open. We are voting at our local elementary school, pretty sure they are open as well.

[jamesmom]

No, DS has school today, even though his school is a polling place.

[AddiesMom]

This is the first year that schools in our district are closed, actually calling it a "teacher in-service day". My DD is in a private preschool but they follow the district's calendar and every month there is 1-2 teacher in-service days.

Just a little venting... If they have one more 'in-service' day I am going to loose my mind. I am sorry but when I worked in the private sector when we needed to get things done behind the scenes we didn't let it effect our customers. Why is the same not true for public schools? They had an 'in-service' day the third week of school in September on a Tuesday. That is crazy! There are 2 in-service days planned in March (different weeks), and that is just after Feb vacation and before April vacation. I was going to put DD in M-W-F school next year instead of T-Th, but will all the holidays and in-service days that fall on a Monday or Friday it is not worth the extra money!

[jk3]

Children do not attend but it's a meeting day for teachers. This is for safety reasons as it is hard to tell who is actually in the building when the general public is voting.

[mamicka]

When I was a kid, our elementary school was a polling place but they didn't close school. I always remember feeling really nervous having all those extra people in the building. They were only allowed in some roped-off areas but it was still weird. I would think they wouldn't do this anymore given the security issues. Schools are not polling places here so its not an issue.

[linsei]

Our location is at a school and the kids have school today. I've always felt uneasy about so many people of the general public coming into a school, but our district has a policy of our schools being for the community.

[maestramommy]

I didn't realize schools were closed, but I saw all these voters bringing their kids! I asked our contractor later on because I ran into his wife with their 4 dcs (eek!), and he told me they made it a teacher conference day. I guess it makes sense since voting was at the high school. It was really cool to see so many kids in tow. I took mine with me and it was a breeze! Didn't even have to use a stroller:jammin:

[dogmom]

Schools are frequently used as polling places. When I was growing up in PA school was always closed election day.

In Massachusetts polls weren't initially closed on election day, but many districts do now. We have had a couple of high profile "old people in cars hurt/kill some kids outside of schools incidents." Although none of them involved polling places I think the decision was made that given peak voting times and arrivals and departures from school that it would be the safest thing.

[Asianmommy]

Our schools are open--we voted at the park district building. Our neighboring town's school is closed, though.

[lorinick]

Our schools are used along with other township buildings. Our children are off but the teachers have an in service day.