Letter to the Editor of the Intelligencer, May 25, 2008

Keep voting in the schools

To the Editor:

This is in regard to a May 9 letter written by Rita Cohen in which she claims that voting taking place on school premises is an unnecessary risk to school children.

I appreciate her concern. Still, I think it is important that we not allow reasonable concern to turn into unreasonable paranoia. If there has ever been any incident where a voter has left a voting line and sought to harm a child, I am not aware of it.  School-age children are at much greater risk riding in their own family automobiles than they are in their classrooms on Election Day. Although we all must do whatever we can to limit and manage risk, it can't be to the extreme that we're afraid to get out of our own beds in the morning.

I am more concerned with the statement made by Robert Laws, Central Bucks School superintendent, to Mrs. Cohen that he would prefer to have all the voting locations moved out of school facilities. In February, Quakertown Superintendent Lisa Andrejko, citing security concerns and scheduling problems, asked the Bucks County Board of Elections to move polling stations out of that district's schools.

I would like to point out to Drs. Laws and Andrejko that voting is the single greatest right and responsibility we have as citizens. It is not a nuisance to be endured by school administrators. The implication that Americans exercising their right to vote should be looked upon as potential molesters of children is incredibly insulting.  I find it very curious that these administrators have no hesitation whatsoever in asking the citizens of the community to pay for school projects costing hundreds of millions of dollars and then tell these very same citizens that they are not allowed within these buildings — even to vote — because they are a security risk. If the superintendents are so concerned with safety, then close the schools on Election Day.

There are not unlimited locations within a precinct that can accommodate voting stations. Facilities that were once perfectly suitable for small rural communities are no longer adequate as populations and development increase. In the future, we are going to need more polling places located on school properties, not fewer, in order to facilitate the needs of voters.

If Dr. Laws and Dr. Andrejko continue in their quest to have the polling places moved from school facilities, they should expect to find themselves in conflict with the Bucks County Board of Elections, the Republican Party, the Democratic Party and, most importantly, the taxpayers who bankroll these exorbitantly expensive school buildings, not to mention their salaries.

Daniel Deagler, committeeman
Plumstead Township

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/320-05252008-1539178.html