Schools as polling stations

[notedbiscuits]

For some parts of the UK, there are elections tomorrow (2nd). The school that my friend's DS goes to is closed tomorrow as its polling day. She is fuming to waste a day's annual leave as her DH is away for a week on a course and has no one to look after DS.

She said in the past, both the village hall and the church hall have been used. So why use the school which is then open for one day, Friday 3rd and not open again til Tuesday 7th as Monday is a BH.

Both the village and church halls are disabled friendly and have plenty of car parking.

When I lived 100 miles away, my polling station was a small mobile on a green area between two streets.

Do you think schools should be used as a polling station? Friend says they shouldn't unless the polling day moves and stays on Sundays which is the case for many countries around the world

I'm all for blaming the Tories for the shit they've done. But schools have closed on polling day for decades.

I'm not sure that's a good reason to keep doing it...

I wonder what Emmaline Pankhurst would have made of you ladies that are "fuming" because a venue is being made available for you to vote and its inconvenient to you?
Democracy is important, voting is paramount. Just as important as education, I would argue, and I don't say that lightly. Maybe use it as a learning opportunity for the kids so they too can learn of its importance.

If Sunak had called a snap election, let's say earlier this year, would the school calendars have changed then, with an inset day removed elsewhere?

Do the 24/25 term dates have an extra day in them, to be taken out when the election comes? But then I guess if it comes in a holiday, they'll put another closure day somewhere else?

If nothing else, it's an argument for fixed terms and set voting days.

I'm Scotland they set it as an inset day about 4 or 5 years ago.
I do remember one year the inset being on the Monday, closed for Voting Thursday and the holiday weekend. Just a really disruptive week.

I suspect making it inconvenient for parents to vote is a factor too though...

Why is it inconvenient for parents to vote? My DD (4) will just come with me tomorrow. If anything it's more convenient for me to vote because I'm off work anyway, so can go whenever.

it’s dressed up as in-service day.

What do you mean by 'dressed up as'? Schools simply do not give staff free days off, polling day or no polling day. They calculate the number of teaching days and the training hours precisely. If they are unable to take a particular training day, it will be made up in twilight sessions.

Or the people who queued for literally days to take part in the first free elections in South Africa.

@Kinshipug I didn't say it was. I was just saying you can't really blame the last 14 years of Tory government for it

When I moved to the area I live now it was the church hall that was used. Then it changed to DDs primary school. She's off tomorrow anyways but there is no vote here. Just an inset day.

Veering off topic, but can I remind everyone to take photo ID with them when they vote tomorrow please?

Well they've had 14 years to come up with a better solution haven't they?
What happened to making up for all the school missed during covid? Or did we give up on that when schools closed for strikes?

@zump - I am hoping my 3 year out of date passport will be accepted. That's all I have.

Your district council will review their list of polling stations every 5 years. They consult with relevant groups and invite comments. If you look in your council website you could ask to be included next time there is a consultation.
We vote in a school reception class which is separate to rest of school so it stays open.

But I still think it takes the piss and is hypocritical when other venues, albeit requiring more effort, are available. Don't miss a day's school, don't you dare, nope, not even one. Oh, what's that? Polling data again. Too much effort and cost to sort something else out, we'll just tell the school we need their hall again.

Hypocritical of whom though? I wonder if the schools have any choice in the matter. In any case, there is a difference between individual children missing out on a day of learning which will actually happen in their absence (so they actually miss the content) and all the children being out of school, so the content can be squeezed in for all another time.

Don't get me wrong, I think schools can be very heavy-handed about attendance, but they have little choice in the matter, but they are pretty much forced to be, as they are judged on it.

As long as the photo still looks like you, that will be fine.

An out of date passport is totally acceptable as long as it is recognisably you.

The votes need counting though. Polling station open until 10pm Thursday. Count Friday.
Count at weekend would cost more in wages eg need to pay overtime. Councils aren’t overrun with volunteers to work polling stations or counts usually it’s often council staff who do that instead of day job.

I agree it's completely unnecessary. I've been lucky that none of my children's schools have been used, but often local schools are and libraries and other halls aren't. Also there are so many polling stations in my area. One school is closed but there is another polling station for different roads very close to the schools. For very rural areas with no alternative I could understand. But often it just seems unnecessary.

When I was growing up all the schools I went to were polling stations on election day, but they weren't shut down for it. We went to school like every other day and just didn't do PE. It was a good introduction to voting in someways - seeing everyone turn up, knowing what was happening, etc. And prompted discussion about how government and democracy worked.

I don't think it's great to shut schools for polling day. Government should look for other venues if at all possible. If we're going to value education enough to make it criminal for parents not to send their kids in then we should match that commitment on the State side.

Liesure centers, Churches, supermarkets, etc. would be better. Apart from anything else, schools rarely have suitable parking.

Liesure centers, Churches, supermarkets, etc. would be better. Apart from anything else, schools rarely have suitable parking.

Polling stations have to be where voters live. There are no churches, leisure centres or supermarkets in my neighbourhood.

And how many supermarkets and leisure centres would have the required accommodation?

@TangerinePlate if votes were on a weekend the turnout probably be higher.

My dd's school is next to a big redundant church - never understood why they can't use that. Madness using schools imo.

I think they work on the basis that they are close enough to you that most people can walk.

@Justrolledmyeyesoutloud if it's a redundant church it probably doesn't have building insurance, running water, electrics etc.