Elections Ontario asked to reconsider use of schools as polling stations
There’s growing sentiment in Niagara schools should not be used as polling stations.
School boards, constituents and politicians have raised concerns — especially in light of the growing number of school shootings in the United States — and would like election officials to consider moving away from the practice.
Brett Sweeney, spokesperson for District School Board of Niagara, said the board would prefer its schools not be used as voting locations.
“We would encourage them, and we have encouraged them, to think about any and all other sites that could be used, such as libraries, community centres, arenas, local churches,” he said.
“This is a day and age when school safety is a prime concern. We do have a number of measures in place to maintain security, but on these voting days, when you have many people who would be arriving at the school not connected with the school community, we have some concerns around that.”
Sweeney said all elementary schools are locked throughout the day, and there are cameras at the front door where visitors buzz in.
“On election days, we will still have all the elementary school doors locked, including the entrances and exits for voting locations, and those will be monitored at all times. There will be a security person posted there and they’ll be monitoring the doors, and ushers to bring people into the schools and to the voting centre, and ushering them out.”
He said the board appreciates Elections Ontario’s assistance.
“It’s something that we’re required to do under the Elections Act. But our board chair and previous chairs have written to Elections Ontario and requested that they consider other options.”
John Crocco, director of education for Niagara Catholic District School Board, said his board also has safety concerns.
“It isn’t a partnership, it is a mandatory requirement — we can’t deny our schools being used,” he said.
Crocco said 13 local Catholic schools were requested by Elections Ontario to act as polling stations for the provincial election.
He said the board has been assured a supervisor will be manning a number of areas.
“In each of the polling station locations, there are information
officers that will direct members of the public in the most direct route to the polling location in each school, as determined in consultation with the school principal, who knows the school the best,” said Crocco.
He said existing security measures call for all school doors, at elementary schools in particular, to be locked.
Crocco said access to school washrooms will not be open to the public.
He said the board is also “exercising” the option provided to it by Elections Ontario to provide paid security while polling stations are open.
“We believe that exercising this option provided by Elections Ontario to pay and to cover the additional security is important as part of our due diligence for the continued preventive safety measures for students and staff.”
Crocco said principals will send letters home to families of students in the 13 schools highlighting safety measures.
Niagara Falls resident Fred Bedard said his polling station for the provincial election is at the same elementary school as last time.
“There had already been a number of school shootings and I was amazed that there was absolutely no security, no check-in scrutiny and the children of the school were in their classes as we walked by to get to the gymnasium to vote,” wrote Bedard in a recent email to city councillors outlining his concerns.
Bedard said he received responses from some councillors, all believing he was expressing legitimate safety concerns.
In his email, Bedard said the concerns led him to not want to vote in the election. He said he has since reconsidered and will vote because he understands “how important it is to have the right to vote.”
However, Bedard said he still has concerns and hopes Elections Ontario will consider not using schools in the future.
“Taking the kids out of school for that day, that could be an answer, but that’s not the proper answer,” he told The Niagara Falls Review.
In an email response to Bedard, Coun. Mike Strange said: “In this crazy world, there is an opportunity to have someone who objects to our local, provincial or federal government by doing the unthinkable while children are still in these schools while the public is voting.”
Strange said there are enough venues that “would suit us better in this process where there are no children in the area.”
In an email response, Coun. Kim Craitor said he would be contacting Elections Ontario to express Bedard’s “valid” concerns.
Elections Ontario spokesperson Jessica Pellerin said voting locations are determined by returning officers who consider many criteria in finding the most suitable locations.
Those include convenience for electors; the location’s capacity; electors’ familiarity with the location; and any significant barriers electors may encounter in reaching the location.
In some communities, Pellerin said, it was necessary to use schools to provide an accessible voting location.
“We take security at voting locations very seriously. Both field and office staff and returning officers from Elections Ontario meet with school boards across Ontario to establish required security,” she said.
“Elections Ontario follows the policies of the school boards and takes direction from school principals on whether security is required. When security is requested, it may be an external security company, or parent volunteers. Ultimately, it’s the school’s principal who makes final decisions and issues requests regarding security requirements.”
Pellerin said where external security companies are requested, Elections Ontario pays associated costs.
Some principals, she said, request hall monitors and Elections Ontario hires appropriate staff to provide them on election day.
These personnel are expected to control traffic from entrances directly to voting locations; mitigate travel routes within the school; put in place physical barriers to limit access; and ensure efficient flow of voter traffic.
“Where possible, officials try to use doors or entrances that are directly adjacent to the voting area, but sometimes this is not feasible when considering accessibility concerns. In addition, poll officials are aware that voters may not loiter in the polls after casting their ballot, and work to move traffic in and out of the location quickly and efficiently.”