I am an incredibly loyal voter. I am honored to have the privilege to vote in a great nation. I have never served my country but because of that I am very civic minded. I am a local public notary serving the public at large and vote in EVERY election.
Today is a sad day for a voter like me, who sees the cynicism, and strategic ploys to [deter] voter turn out today.
I arrived at my voting poll today to learn that the poll location was changed, and if it wasn’t for the wonderful staff in the Hamilton Arms to kindly tell me where I needed to vote I would have no idea where to go. Lancaster County Voter registration should have had staff (a body) on premise to point to / inform voters. The new location was about an estimated 2 blocks way at a nearby elementary school.
Does Voter Registration believe it is just to expect the staff of Hamilton Arms to inform me, I say no. How awful of them to assume delight in the duty to inform us of anything especially with their short notice of polling change. Hamilton Arms ALWAYS provided coffee and cookies to all the voters that arrived at their polling station. I thanked the administration for their 30 year dedication to the constituency of Lancaster. I expressed dissatisfaction, and made the walk to the new polling station at the near by elementary.
My second dissatisfaction came when I walked to the building and when i asked if this is the new polling registration, I was politely informed that yes, it was, and the Elections Board had not arrived yet. NOTE TIME: 7:15AM. I walked away extremely irate.
I came back to the polling location at 7:45 AM. I walked all the way around the entire inside and outside of the building looking for the polling station. AGAIN there was no one from Voter Registration or Board of Elections directing voters to the polling location, that is the reason why I walked all over the building. I was up and down step getting more and more upset as I walked. Why didn’t Voter Registration have people directing the voters, especially at a new location?
Was this a conspiracy to deter voter turn out today, if so, I say BRAVO Lancaster County! But I am not quiet, meek or mild, my pen is as mighty as my mouth. Despite my emotions, I aired my rantings to the Election Board Representative who was sweet and apologetic and on sight and I still casted my vote. I called the WGAL Tips line, at 7:30 am and wonder if they ever looked into the situation.
It sounds like maybe the elections bureau was too busy worrying about guns in polling places and forgot to get to work on their real business……making the polling places ready to accept voters!
Polling place changes happen. They’re published in the newspaper. They should probably send out voter ID cards with the new address automatically, if they do not already do so.
The volunteers not having the polling place open and ready tor business at 7 am is clearly improper, clearly negligent. Conspiracy? Eh, probably not.