Changes to Bedford's Election Polling Place

Voters in Bedford will see a new layout of the high school gymnasium when they come to the polls for the September 10 State Primary Election and the November 5 General Election. With a record number of voters expected to turn out to vote in the November General Election, these changes are being made to accommodate the large turnout and to get voters in the correct lines and through the process and back out to their vehicles in a smooth and orderly fashion. We are putting this new layout in place for the September 10 Primary Election to help acquaint voters with what to expect in November.

The first big change is that we will be using the entire gymnasium area. In the past, we’ve used about two thirds of the space. The goal is to get everyone coming to vote into the gymnasium and out of the hallways and in the correct line. We will use stanchions to snake lines to the ballot clerks. There will be two separate lines leading to two separate ballot clerk check in stations. Greeters will be directing voters to the shortest check-in lines. Those wishing to register the day of the election will be directed to the supervisors of the checklist to register. If you want to avoid waiting in line for a while, we encourage new voters to register at the Town Offices before election day. This must be completed by 4pm on September 4 for the September 10 Primary. You will also have the opportunity to register after the Primary at the Town Offices through October 30 prior to the Presidential election.

We also will be encouraging voters without mobility challenges to park in the lot in front of the school and enter the high school front entrance. As in the past, both the front and rear of the school entrances will be open. The front lot offers more parking spaces with better traffic flow, helping to ease traffic congestion. The rear entrance to the school is best suited for voters with mobility issues as it is a more direct entrance to the voting area and has marked parking spaces close to the entrance. Your cooperation in making the voting process smoother for everyone is greatly appreciated.

There will be two separate ways to exit the gymnasium depending on whether one parks in the front or the rear of the school. We plan to have signs directing people where to exit based upon where they parked.

Voters that are undeclared and want to vote in the Primary are reminded that they must re-register as undeclared before exiting to stay undeclared, otherwise they will become a member of the political party of the primary ballot they chose.

Henry Veilleux, Bedford Town Moderator