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Original poster

School closed all day on election day? Is this normal?

56 replies

wheelsonthebus · 01/04/2010 15:16

My dc's school is closed all day on May 6 (provisional date obviously) for general election as it's used as a polling station. Is this normal? It's a nightmare for working parents. Why can't people vote in council facilities or churches even?

OP posts:
CountessDracula · 01/04/2010 15:17

yes dd's school is too
blardy ridiculous

onepieceoflollipop · 01/04/2010 15:18

School used to be open (well ours did when I was at primary many moons ago)

I think it is (as usual) to do with Health and Safety. Hundreds of people potentially entering the building, in close proximity to the children. Also in a lot of schools when the hall/dining room is in use for voting,it is too disruptive for the students.

Imo a different venue should be sought.

TheInvisibleManDidIt · 01/04/2010 15:18

Yes it's normal in my area. Alot of the schools are used. Agree it's a pain if you're working.

CarGirl · 01/04/2010 15:19

It's a good day to visit theme parks and the like though, still quieter than a May weekend

pinkmagic1 · 01/04/2010 15:19

Its ridiculous! there are many church halls and community centres that could be used instead. I would be furious if mys dc's school closed for this.

onepieceoflollipop · 01/04/2010 15:19

They do use lots of other venues too, our local polling station was the scout hut. Also churches etc are used. Afaik by law if a church or similar is asked, they have to agree as they are a public building.

WowOoo · 01/04/2010 15:20

Sadly, it's normal around here too.

Perhaps there aren't as many church halls as there used to be when I was young first time voting lady.

CountessDracula · 01/04/2010 15:22

it's a good day to visit theme parks during local London elections where the rest of the cuntry are not also having one

We made the mistake of going to legoland when it was the last nationwide ones and it was RAMMED

CarGirl · 01/04/2010 15:26

Legoland is always rammed IME!

upahill · 01/04/2010 15:28

Yeah, It's normal round my way as well although fortunatly Ds2's school is not affected but the school next to his does shut.

UndertheBoredWalk · 01/04/2010 15:33

Yes is pretty normal in a lot of places I think. DD's school has been used before but they only closed the nursery and used that, closing it off to the rest of the school which was good I thought.
Annoyingly, I have to go somewhere else to vote, so take DD to school where there is a polling station and then go miles away to a different one to vote myself. Stupid bloody district boundaries.

clam · 01/04/2010 18:01

This is an arrangement that has been in existence for decades, and is why other schools, which are not used as polling stations, have a day in lieu (aka an 'occasional' day). They able to choose when to take it, whereas polling schools are committed to election day.

It's nothing to do with the schools, but is a local government issue. Take it up with them, but I'd guess that suitable venues are few and far between.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 01/04/2010 18:16

I suppose the problem is that wherever possible the polling station should be in the ward that its voters live (if that makes sense) In our ward there is only one suitable building which fortunately happens to be a church.

CaptainUnderpants · 01/04/2010 18:24

It is normal -a night mare for working parents - well yes and no -plenty of time to make arrangements to have day off or alternate arrangements.

sarah293 · 01/04/2010 18:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Fennel · 01/04/2010 18:30

It always did happen, I remember one term in primary school when our school was shut on three Thursdays for elections. I've got no idea why they couldn't do them all on the same day.

NoahAndTheWhale · 01/04/2010 18:37

It always used to happen when I was at primary school. I liked getting the day off

where we are now, they use the parish hall so DS and DD will be at school.

RustyBear · 01/04/2010 18:38

It's certainly nothing to do with the schools - the head of the infant school where my DC went fought for years to get them to change, to no avail - they claimed there wasn't anywhere else in the ward, (translation - nowhere else they didn't have to pay for), but there is another polling station in a neighbouring ward less than half a mile away (and actually closer for some voters).
Also the polling station for our ward and about 20 others is at the council offices over a mile and a half away for us and even further for some.

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 01/04/2010 18:38

It's normal. They have done this for years, I remember getting a day off when I was at school (many years ago), I can't see why, they only use the hall.

BendyBob · 01/04/2010 18:40

I do wonder why they use schools though. There are often other places equally suitable. It's annoying

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 01/04/2010 18:41

It's because they are classed as public buildings IIRC. They can't use private schools, just the state ones as these are owned by the county council.

ToccataAndFudge · 01/04/2010 18:42

\link{http://www.hertsdirect.org/scholearn/aboutstatesch/pollingsch/herts councils answers}

Clary · 01/04/2010 22:12

Our junior school is used as a polling station but thank goodness not closed.

They just use a portable building and close one entrance to everyone but voters, much to the HT's relief.

It is not uncommon tho. Actually people vote in churches etc as well; we are very near our junior school (like, 6 mins' walk) but our polling station is an even nearer church!

soapboxqueen · 02/04/2010 00:04

The number of days children attend school is the same whether their school is a polling station or not. If they aren't closed for polling day, which many schools will use as a training day, they'll just have a straight training day.

You aren't losing out.

mrz · 02/04/2010 14:06

I'm afraid that isn't the situation here soapboxqueen. My school isn't used as a polling station and will be open as normal for teaching purposes (not training) and I've never know it happen in my time as a teacher or as a parent.