Politics & Government

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.

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 , each location found election judges and workers quietly chatting, reading books or knitting. Each reporting a slow day. One worker with in working primary elections, suggested that combining precincts for the primary elections would make sense.

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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.

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Do you think that could have been pared down to maybe five central locations for the primary election?


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