Extra Security To Be Posted At Concord's Ward 10 Polling Location

CONCORD, NH — Due to concerns raised by Concord school teachers in a petition to the district, extra security and traffic assistance will be in place for the Feb. 11 presidential primary on the Broken Ground Elementary School and Mill Brook Primary School campus — the Ward 10 voting location. The gym at Broken Ground has been the polling location, one of the busiest in the city, since at least the early 1990s, according Janice Bonenfant, Concord's City Clerk. There are currently more than 3,800 registered voters in Ward 10, the most in the city.

It is the only polling location in Concord inside of a school.

Recently, about 50 teachers approached the district via petition about getting Feb. 11 off or switching around professional development days in order to not have children at the school during what is expected to be a pretty busy Election Day.

That request, however, was nixed by Interim School Superintendent Franklyn Bass.

"I appreciate their concerns (but) I don't want to do that," he said. "At this point in time, I don’t feel the need to shut down the building on that particular day. I want to see it for myself and make a decision after that."

Teachers raised concerns about the traffic patterns during the arrivals, around 7:15 to 7:45 a.m., and departures, between 2:15 and 2:45 p.m., as well as members of the non-school community having access to the building while school is in session. They also raised the issue of voters who might be coming into the school armed. It is legal to carry a firearm in any New Hampshire school and has been for many years — a political fight that is raised nearly every legislative session.

Bass said the district would have law enforcement at the school during polling hours and he is planning on being at the ward all day himself to analyze the comings and goings of children, parents, teachers, and voters. Matt Cashman, the district's director of facilities and planning, will also be at Ward 10 on primary day, he said. Bass is also hoping to have Larry Prince, the director of human resources for the district, at the school to assist, too.

The employees and police, Bass said, would be keeping both the gym and the school community separated as well as "directing traffic where they are supposed to go" and "having good direction opportunities so they won't get logjammed."

Nov. 3, 2020: A Day Off For Concord Kids

Bass said the school district will have no school for the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, so there won't be an issue on that day at Broken Ground or Mill Brook.

In previous presidential elections, around 80 to 81 percent of the ward's voters have cast ballots. During municipal elections, it tends to be a much smaller turnout — somewhere between 566 and 799, historically.

Most voting locations in the state, especially in smaller communities, are located in school buildings, something that Concord hasn't done but could in the future.

Future Changes? Unknown

City officials wouldn't speak about any potential future changes to voting locations around the city but it could be reevaluated.

After the 2020 Census is complete, city officials will consider ward redistricting in 2021. These changes could require the need to move voting locations around. There are also issues with accessibility of current voting locations. And, while there is only one school building in use, the community spent $90.8 million to consolidate SAU 8 elementary schools from nine to five. Those buildings were supposed to be more accessible and open to the community for usage than they are now.

New polling locations, at school buildings in the wake of the district taking election days off might be a solution to a multifaceted problem as far as polling locations go.

Right now, the city only pays for one voting location and would save less than $1,000, according to Bonenfant, of the $22,000-plus cost of holding an election. Usage of the rest of the buildings are either donated or are city-owned.

In two locations — Ward 2 and Ward 4 — voters actually vote in buildings that are outside of their wards.

Some locations, like the Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Ward 3 and the West Street Ward House, in Ward 7, are also very small buildings.

The Concord School District has school buildings in Ward 3, Ward 5, Ward 7, and Ward 10; the Merrimack Valley School District has buildings in Ward 1.

Three ward locations are in buildings of houses of worship. While there haven't been complaints by voters, in other communities, there have been requests made and even lawsuits forcing municipalities to move polling locations out of places where spiritual people worship.

For now, no changes are expected at polling locations in the city until after redistricting.

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