GLEN RIDGE, N.J. — Some schools throughout the nation are seeking to stop their traditional roles as polling places due to security concerns stemming from the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
One school district in particular, Glen Ridge School District in New Jersey, has closed its balloting since its elementary schools served as voting sites, whereas the middle and high schools did not. District officials noted that after the Newtown shooting, it appeared too risky to leave schools open for voters, reports the Associated Press.
Following the Columbine shooting in 1999, Jefferson County, Colo., voting in schools was banned. Since the Sandy Hook incident, it is unclear how widespread school voting restrictions have become, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Commission on Election Administration plans to make recommendations to President Barack Obama about ways to improve access to the polls. The commission hopes to encourage schools to stay open for voting, the group believes that school are the perfect place for voting due to accessibility concerns..
