Local parents concerned about using schools as polling stations

A group of local parents are expressing their concerns over the use of schools as polling stations for the upcoming provincial election on June 2.

While schools have always been used as polling stations in the past, parents are concerned since they themselves and other visitors have been not been allowed inside schools throughout the pandemic. 

Bradford mother of two Jenny Mathieu says using schools as polling stations is "unacceptable."

"I think polling stations should never be in our schools, COVID or not," she said. 

She worries about the safety of the students. 

"Even on P.A. days when I have voted within the school, I was just pointed in the right direction, nobody was around to make sure I didn't wander through the school," she said. 

She believes polling stations don't belong in schools and should be set up at other public facilities like community centres, libraries and fire halls, "but never in schools, and most certainly not while the kids are in school."

Mother Helena Marques Freitas plans to pull her kids out of class on election day as a safety precaution. 

"This is very upsetting as a parent with kids going to St. Angela Merici, I won’t be sending my kids to school tomorrow while strangers walk inside my kids' schools," she said. 

"It's very concerning to many parents, especially after the recent events in Texas," said local mother, Chandra Lathangue. "We have to keep schools locked all hours except on Election Day, makes no sense."

Communications Manager at the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board Pauline Stevenson says throughout the pandemic, the board's request to not have polling stations set up in schools was approved, however, this time around the same request was denied. 

"There are no visitors during school hours, so it didn't seem right to have the public (allowed in)," she said. 

However, she notes that schools are legally obligated to provide space to allow the public to vote as per the Ontario Elections Act. 

Stevenson says the board has requested extra security at the polling station schools on election day. 

Sarah Kekewich, Manager of Communications for the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) confirmed their schools' doors will be monitored by Elections Ontario staff. 

"Where possible, there will be separate entrances and exits for the public to access. In cases where this cannot be arranged, there will be additional elections staff/security in place. In addition, there will be a direct path to the polling station and students and staff will be kept separate from the public," she said. 

The Friday after election day is a P.A. Day for all SCDSB students. Some parents wondered why the P.A. Day was not made on Election Day. 

Kekewich confirmed that the request from Ontario Elections to use school sites didn't come forward in time for the inclusion in the school year calendar, which requires Ministry of Education approval.

When contacted for comment, Media Relations Officer for Elections Ontario Nicole Taylor says when choosing voting locations Returning Officers (who oversee electoral events in their electoral district) must consider accessibility requirements, convenience for voters, the location's capacity, the extent to which voters are likely to be familiar with the location, and any significant barriers that voters could encounter on their way to the voting location. 

"Therefore, access to schools as voting locations is a key component of running an election. They meet accessibility requirements, are central to a neighbourhood, and are well-known to the community. It’s the very reason why Ontario’s Election Act and Education Act make schools available as voting locations," said Taylor. 

Elections Ontario will be implementing additional health and safety guidelines at voting locations to protect voters and staff, including physical distancing, hand sanitizer and regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces. 

Taylor confirmed that if a school principal has requested security be at the voting location, the corresponding returning officer ensures that additional security is provided.