The one "holiday" we can agree on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids voting? If not, they should be in school. It's a Tuesday.

(And we have lived in plentty of places where kids go to school at the same time as people vote at the school. It's not an issue.)

You seem to forget that we now live in a country that is incapable of regulating guns so we have to keep schools locked at all times. Accordingly, keeping the front doors open to any school in VA is against safety protocols.
Remember, kids' safety comes last so this is the system that we live with. I think the guns are well taken care of, though, so no worries there.

[Anonymous]

In other countries, elections happen on the weekend, often on Sundays. That way, schools don't need to close and long shift workers don't need to feel guilty about not voting. A much greater proportion of voters are available on Sundays compared to other days.

Also, many other countries have much more STRINGENT voting requirements than in the US, where you need to show a secure government-issued ID, vote only in your precinct, can't mail-in or vote early unless in exceptional circumstances requiring a whole lot of verification, etc. I don't understand why some people don't want to have secure elections here.

- European.

[Anonymous]

uhhhh, school being closed makes it harder to vote!

[Anonymous]

You are allowed to bring your children with you when you vote. My parents always took me when I was growing up and I always take my kids with me. It’s a great way to impress upon kids the importance of voting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
In other countries, elections happen on the weekend, often on Sundays. That way, schools don't need to close and long shift workers don't need to feel guilty about not voting. A much greater proportion of voters are available on Sundays compared to other days.

Also, many other countries have much more STRINGENT voting requirements than in the US, where you need to show a secure government-issued ID, vote only in your precinct, can't mail-in or vote early unless in exceptional circumstances requiring a whole lot of verification, etc. I don't understand why some people don't want to have secure elections here.

- European.

Early voting is available on multiple weekends. Agreed on voter ID laws. Americans also don't like to talk about Europe's much more stringent immigration laws, how their schools were open during COVID and young kids never had to mask, and that they don't recommend kids to get covid vaccine absent medical conditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are allowed to bring your children with you when you vote. My parents always took me when I was growing up and I always take my kids with me. It’s a great way to impress upon kids the importance of voting.

stop being ableist. Your privilege is showing.

[Anonymous]

Why do people vote in schools anyway? Where I now live, voting centers are in libraries, adult centers, communities centers etc. People can vote in-person in the week leading up to Election Day or they can mail in their ballot. It’s a much easier system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids voting? If not, they should be in school. It's a Tuesday.

(And we have lived in plentty of places where kids go to school at the same time as people vote at the school. It's not an issue.)

You seem to forget that we now live in a country that is incapable of regulating guns so we have to keep schools locked at all times. Accordingly, keeping the front doors open to any school in VA is against safety protocols.
Remember, kids' safety comes last so this is the system that we live with. I think the guns are well taken care of, though, so no worries there.

Why would the front doors need to be open? Every school has a separate entrance to the gym. Vote there. Or, put the polling place somewhere other than the school. This is the tail wagging the dog.

[Anonymous]

With all the mail-in and early voting options, I’m not sure this is necessary. I’d love the day off after Election Day because we stay up late watching .

[Anonymous]

You realize a lot of don’t have the day off. Neither of us do. I took off today and my husband took off Friday. Those are regular work days for non government employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:uhhhh, school being closed makes it harder to vote!

You CAN take children with you to vote. I worked outside at my polling place this morning. Many people coming to vote with kids of all ages in tow. Saw kids as young as babies in strollers all the way up to middle schoolers going inside with their parents.

If it's an issue of "I have to look after my kids today," take them with you.

If you know you'll need to look after kids that day, OR you know you must work that day and care for kids when you aren't working and you Just. Can't. Bring. Them: There's also early voting galore, for weeks and weeks prior to election day itself.

"School being closed makes it harder to vote" is zero excuse. Just no excuse at all, if you live in a place with early voting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With all the mail-in and early voting options, I’m not sure this is necessary. I’d love the day off after Election Day because we stay up late watching .

You're not sure what's necessary? Closing schools to use them as polling places? Please read the thread. As others have pointed out, this is an issue of safety and security in the school buildings. Polling places are open to all, anyone can walk in the door without being challenged.

Early and mail-in voting are crucially important! But they do not obviate the need for in-person voting on election days, and in-person voting means strangers walking into buildings where normally no strangers are allowed free access.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:uhhhh, school being closed makes it harder to vote!

How?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids voting? If not, they should be in school. It's a Tuesday.

(And we have lived in plentty of places where kids go to school at the same time as people vote at the school. It's not an issue.)

You seem to forget that we now live in a country that is incapable of regulating guns so we have to keep schools locked at all times. Accordingly, keeping the front doors open to any school in VA is against safety protocols.
Remember, kids' safety comes last so this is the system that we live with. I think the guns are well taken care of, though, so no worries there.

Why would the front doors need to be open? Every school has a separate entrance to the gym. Vote there. Or, put the polling place somewhere other than the school. This is the tail wagging the dog.

"Every school has a separate entrance to the gym Vote there." You have little idea of how porous a school buiding is once you're inside. Do you plan on local jurisdictions spendng money to put police or other security in the hallways so no one can wander off (intentionally or unintentionally) into other parts of the building? This is not pollworkers' job, by the way.

Also: You seem not to understand how many cars are constantly coming and going from a school parking lot on election day. If there are teachers' etc. cars there, school buses coming and going, kids arriving (voting starts early, before school begins, and some of the heaviest voting times are early morning when kids would be coming in to school)-- all that is a recipe for a kid to be injured or worse, due to the stream of cars coming and going. Do you not see that?

"Put the polling place somewhere other than the school." Schools get used because virtually every community has one or is close to one. Not every community has, say, a community center or recreation center that could be used. Schools as polling places helps make it easier to vote for more people. It increases accessibility tremendously. Where do you suggest putting polling places so they are as accessible and widespread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids voting? If not, they should be in school. It's a Tuesday.

(And we have lived in plentty of places where kids go to school at the same time as people vote at the school. It's not an issue.)

You seem to forget that we now live in a country that is incapable of regulating guns so we have to keep schools locked at all times. Accordingly, keeping the front doors open to any school in VA is against safety protocols.
Remember, kids' safety comes last so this is the system that we live with. I think the guns are well taken care of, though, so no worries there.

Why would the front doors need to be open? Every school has a separate entrance to the gym. Vote there. Or, put the polling place somewhere other than the school. This is the tail wagging the dog.

"Every school has a separate entrance to the gym Vote there." You have little idea of how porous a school buiding is once you're inside. Do you plan on local jurisdictions spendng money to put police or other security in the hallways so no one can wander off (intentionally or unintentionally) into other parts of the building? This is not pollworkers' job, by the way.

Also: You seem not to understand how many cars are constantly coming and going from a school parking lot on election day. If there are teachers' etc. cars there, school buses coming and going, kids arriving (voting starts early, before school begins, and some of the heaviest voting times are early morning when kids would be coming in to school)-- all that is a recipe for a kid to be injured or worse, due to the stream of cars coming and going. Do you not see that?

"Put the polling place somewhere other than the school." Schools get used because virtually every community has one or is close to one. Not every community has, say, a community center or recreation center that could be used. Schools as polling places helps make it easier to vote for more people. It increases accessibility tremendously. Where do you suggest putting polling places so they are as accessible and widespread?

As I wrote, tail wagging the dog. You are looking to find reasons not to have school. The better approach (for kids, parents, erc.) to it look for ways to have school. Once you take that perspective, the solutions are many and easy.