POLL: Were There Too Many Polling Places?
In Severna Park, there were multiple polling locations within a mile or less of one another fully staffed with election judges at each place.
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Traveling around the park on Tuesday, primary election day, one could not help but notice the numerous places open to voters—many within a half mile or mile of each other. Severna Park High School, Severna Park Elementary School and the library are one example. You could walk to each one.
Up the road, north along Ritchie Highway was the Earleigh Heights Fire Station, Pasadena Elementary School on Waterford Road and the Pasadena United Methodist Church on Ritchie Highway. All within about a mile of one another. All open to Severna Park voters, depending on which precinct you live in.
At the locations visited on Tuesday, each location found election judges and workers quietly chatting, reading books or knitting. Each reporting a slow day. One worker with 25 years of experience in working primary elections, suggested that combining precincts for the primary elections would make sense.
When one considers the expense of opening the buildings to voters (especially the school during spring break) would it have been smarter to combine precincts to save money and staff expense?
In the Severna Park/Millersville area, there were 15 polling locations, including each elementary school in Severna Park.
Do you think that could have been pared down to maybe five central locations for the primary election?
Amy Leahy
7:45 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
Not only were there too many polling places but there were 5 days of early voting that cost taxpayers a huge amount considering the number of election judges (at $175 per judge per day) at each location. At Severna Park library alone there were 16 judges (keep in mind the two chief judges get more money) every day. Would love to know the cost per voter for early voting.
SP Bama Mom
8:09 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
I think where you vote should be looked at. I live on Truck house road and had to go all the way up to Shipley's Choice when there looked like there was voting at Oak Hill Elem. What's up with these Severna Park voting districts? It discourages people from voting.
Christy Wilson
9:13 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
Why o why do we have early voting? It certainly did not increase voter turnout! Not only are we paying for all of those judges Amy, how about the union labor to take the voting machines out of storage, deliver to each location and set up? I am betting we paid an extra $5. or more for every early vote but it could be a lot higher. i do not know. Responsible people that cannot vote on election day have always had option of absentee voting. This is another example of the poor management of tax resources in Maryland. I googled but could not get numbers.
Daryl Hodge
10:00 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
In this day of driving to everything, it would be far more efficient to use fewer polling places. Use the libraries; they're convinient. We could add more machines to each and, overall, use fewer judges.
Amy Leahy
7:39 pm on Saturday, April 7, 2012
In Edgewater there were two schools sharing a campus that each had voting ….South River High School and Central Middle School. I was electioneering outside one with another volunteer and when we discovered the voters were in the wrong location I went to the other school. How ridiculous that both precincts couldn't be housed in the same school. It was definitely a discouragement to voters - especially those who were elderly and having a hard time walking.