Idea of a.m. polling hours lacks support
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

"Figures do not show a huge difference, but in these times, giving people a better chance to vote is a better idea." - Meredith Shaw School board member

EAST BRUNSWICK - Though school board members would like to increase participation in the April school elections, the board majority has decided against expanding the polling hours.

At its meeting last Thursday, the Board of Education voted to continue holding the school election from 2 to 9 p.m., instead of opening the polls in the morning, which would bring an added cost to the district.

Board member Vicki Becker had suggested having the polls open earlier. The move, she said, would allow people who go to work early or who are unavailable at night a chance to vote.

"We need to give all a chance to vote," Becker said, adding that people who in the past would have supported the school budget have told her they can't vote due to the time constraints.

"I think this is a good year to go back to opening earlier," Becker said.

Years ago, the school district did open the polls earlier in the day, allowing more people who were inclined to vote yes to come out, Becker said.

In more recent years, the school budget has been defeated more often than not and then sent to the Township Council for cuts. The budget was defeated in each of the past two years, with voter participation hovering around 10 to 15 percent of the township's registered voters.

Last year's budget was voted down in a narrow margin, with 2,133 for and 2,297 against. The council then cut $1 million from the school tab, reducing what would have been a 21-cent tax rate hike by 2.5 cents.

In making her argument to have earlier polling hours, Becker said she knows people who would vote if they could do so before they go to work.

Board member Scott Luxenberg said, however, that people who can't make it to the polls can always submit absentee ballots. And board member William McCann disputed the assertion that more people participated in the school elections when the polls were open earlier.

"Our goal has to be to maximize the opportunities to get people in to vote for the budget," Becker said.

Many school officials feel that the low percentage of voters participating in the school election is one reason why the budgets fail; many people who would support the budget simply don't go to the polls.

Board member Meredith Shaw agreed with Becker, saying the perception statewide is that certain people are excluded from the elections.

"The perception is that it's not easy to vote," she said.

Shaw added that it is worth finding out the answer.

"Figures do not show a huge difference, but in these times, giving people a better chance to vote is a better idea," she said.

Becker and Shaw were the only members to favor the earlier hours.

Board President Holly Howard said that one concern is the fact that more people would be going into the schools to vote while school is in session, creating security concerns. The board majority also did not want to incur the added cost of the earlier polling hours.