Schools as polling places?

[Philly Mom]

We close for election day because our schools are polling places. I am not sure how I feel. I think I would prefer them to be open but they aren't so oh well.

[wendibird22]

No schools as polling places here. We use a fire hall.


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[elephantmeg]

our schools are always closed and it's a "staff development day"-where teachers have updates etc. They were off yesterday too for parent teacher conferences

[mackmama]

I am glad you posted this, and this has always been of concern to me. Today again our school was used as a polling place, and I just don't get it. Strangers walking in and out all day when every other day the school is locked. Doesn't make sense.

[twowhat?]

Yes, our kids' elementary school is a polling location. There is police presence, and the school is completely blocked off except for a separate entry into/out of the gym. I'm fine with it, it's not the first time, and things always run smoothly.

[doberbrat]

For the midterm & presidential elections, they use it as a proff dev day. access to classrooms is locked off though people can go through to the gym (where polling happens) and the lobby. There is a police presence IN the polling location or just outside the doors to the gym and outside.

For local elections, you must use a gym entrance - they add a ramp and you can only go in/out of the gym. again with police presence. This is fairly new - it used to be that people went through the loby to the gym and kids stayed in the classroom 'wing' behind locked doors though it wasnt perfect b/c access to the library, the teachers lounge & office are on the gym side.

[belovedgandp]

I would have to go look when it changed, but the school buildings are no longer polling places. Before I had kids I remember going to our local elementary school as my polling places. But it changed about 15 years ago. I believe the district decided it was too much of a hazard having so many people in and out. Our students are always in school on voting days. Now, my polling place is a school district building. But it is a curriculum/office building and no students.

[Nooknookmom]

My Middle Schoolers school was a polling place today. Not mine - I was at the senior center, but they are used often in CA. DD didn't mention it so I don't think it disrupted anything.

[klwa]

Some of our schools are used as polling places, but not my kids' schools. From what I've heard from those who have that situation, the voters are kept in specific areas and the children aren't allowed into those areas that day. (Mainly the gym, which usually has a separate entrance from the regular school.) And, they do late entry that day to allow most morning voters to be gone from campus before students start arriving. (Which was ANNOYING as heck yesterday because of a few different reasons, but basically Son had to be dropped off at 10:00 on a day I had class running from 8:30-4, half an hour away, so we had to do some major shuffling to get DH to be able to handle that late of drop off.)

[123LuckyMom]

Our elementary school is our polling place, and the school closes (and the teachers have a development day) on Election Day.


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