Montco Proposes To Move All Primary Polling Places Into Schools

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County is considering a proposal which would move all polling places for the upcoming primary election into public schools, providing what officials hope is a safer environment for voters who choose to cast their ballots in person.

The proposal would also reduce the total number of polling places in the county by 60 percent, from 352 to 140, officials said.

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"School buildings provide a space that provides the least chance of exposure to any individual not directly involved in the election day activities," Montgomery County Commissioner Ken Lawrence said Monday.

Schools are also "uniquely equipped" to handle election day crowds in a socially distant manner, Lawrence added.

Most polling locations would host three or more precincts under this proposal.

>>PA Preparing For 'Unprecedented' 2020 Primary Election

The county board of elections will vote on the matter on May 11. The primary is set for June 2.

The change would apply only for the primary election and has no connection to the general election in November.

Leaders at both the county and state level continue to urge residents to vote by mail. Ballot applications can be made online at Votespa.com.

>>Mail-In Voting Favored, But Montco Readies For In-Person Election

The county will be providing all polling places with kits that include cleaning supplies, masks, gloves, tape to mark the floors, and other resources. The state is providing counties across the Commonwealth $13 million in federal funding to cover costs related to the election changes.

"Clearly this will not be a normal election, and we will be taking every precaution to protect voters and poll workers," Lawrence added.

All 22 superintendents of school districts in Montgomery County have been made aware of the proposal. Signage has also been placed in the areas where the new polling places will be, and letters will be sent in the mail to all impacted voters.

Schools will be throughly cleaned following the election, officials noted.

You can view the full plan and new proposed sites here.

>>The latest coronavirus updates in Pennsylvania.