By tara petersen
Staff Writer
MONROE — The township has joined the fight against a proposed state ban on using schools as polling places.
The Township Council passed a resolution at its Aug. 4 meeting opposing a state Senate bill currently under consideration. If passed, schools would no longer be an acceptable location for polling during any election, including the annual school elections in April.
Several area municipalities have passed resolutions opposing the ban. The reasons behind their opposition include concerns that voter turnout will be reduced if polling locations are changed, and that the costs to the local government would be significantly increased since new polling places must be found.
According to Monroe Councilman John Riggs, the ban for Monroe would mean the loss of four voting locations, which would adversely affect voter turnout among the township’s non-age-restricted populations. He said that the retirement communities can vote in their clubhouses, but other voters would have to rely on the first aid squad, community center, library and one firehouse.
"Anytime you limit the places you can vote, you limit the people’s ability to vote, which infringes on their democratic rights," Riggs said.
"It’s absolutely 100 percent wrong," he added.
State Sen. Joseph A. Palaia (R-11th District), the sponsor of the legislation, said security concerns motivated him to present the bill to the Legislature.
"We’d have hundreds and hundreds of people coming into the building on Election Day," Palaia said.
Palaia said he feels that the present security used during election days is not adequate, considering the current climate and fear of terrorism in the nation.
He does not expect the ban to get passed but wants to draw attention to the issue, he said.
"People have to open their eyes now," Palaia said.
He also said he would accept an amended plan that would allow voting in schools if in-service days were scheduled for election days. During this time, only teachers and administrative staff members are in the school.
Riggs said he would support the alternate plan, as long as the schools agree that it can work.
"Parents would have the ability to bring their kids to school with them to teach them about the voting process," Riggs said. "It seems like a pretty valid suggestion on the surface."