Rhode Island closes 66 percent of polling places to cut election costs
Source: Raw Story
The Rhode Island Board of Elections announced this week that two-thirds of the states polling places would remain closed for the upcoming primary as a costs savings measure.
According to WPRI, the Board of Elections plans to cut costs by opening only 144 of the states 419 polling places for the April 26 primary.
Board of Elections Director Robert Rapoza argued that the state had handled record turnout in 2008 after implementing similar cost savings measures.
But since 2008, the state has reduced the total number of polling places. Meaning that there were 33 more voting locations in 2008 than there will be this year.
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2016/04/rhode-island-closes-66-percent-of-polling-places-to-cut-election-costs/
Here we go again.
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)laserhaas
(7,805 posts)👍
brush
(53,868 posts)Cost savings my as_.
Shemp Howard
(889 posts)I think it's an establishment vs. insurgent thing.
Imagine someone going to their local polling booth on election day and finding it closed. OK, perhaps that person should have known ahead of time. So that person goes over to the nearest open polling place, and finds long lines.
What type of person doesn't have time to stand in a long line to vote? It's the working poor, the people whom Bernie would help most.
brush
(53,868 posts)and the election officials are all repugs (it's one of the reddest states going) so I think it was definitely repugs v dems there rehearsal for dem vote suppression the general election. The Clinton camp nor the DNC had anything to do with AZ.
In R.I. it could be different.
Shemp Howard
(889 posts)mpcamb
(2,875 posts)Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)brush
(53,868 posts)What advantage does that give either dem candidate?
Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)It suppresses turnout on election day.
Nobody wants to stand in line for hours and hours to vote.
No matter who benefits from it, it is horrible.
brush
(53,868 posts)"her voters are disproportionately absentee voters and early voters."
I don't know about that.
Sanders will have no absentee or early voters?
Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)That's been very clear in the other states .
It doesn't mean Sanders will have no early and absentee votes.
brush
(53,868 posts)Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)because her voters are more likely to have already voted by mail.
If something like this has even a 5 percent effect on the election it could matter.
brush
(53,868 posts)Kingofalldems
(38,476 posts)But primary season will soon be over.
abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)Jobs, kids, people don't have that time to spare. And then when they can't vote we'll talk down about all those who didn't vote and ask ourselves why so few participate pretending that we don't know why.
HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)The smallest state in the nation.
No ones going to be standing in line for hours and hours.
Inconvenient? Yes
Scandalous? IMO No.
gaspee
(3,231 posts)had to wait in line to vote in Rhode Island. Not ever. Not one person in front of me, ever.
Everyone knows about the closings - it is a very small state. There are cities that are bigger.
Dustlawyer
(10,497 posts)already knew that!
MBS
(9,688 posts)NOT.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... let's just call the whole thing off! If we can't afford an election, then I guess we don't need 'em anymore? If I didn't know any better, I'd say they're tryin' to disenfranchise all of us!
alfredo
(60,075 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)DNC/Hillary people? This is voter suppression regardless of what they call it. Too bad there is not a way of taking them to court NOW.
cannabis_flower
(3,765 posts)I can't since I'm from Texas and have no standing.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... who does one call to complain about this? I don't know who to call. Shouldn't there be Federal oversight over our elections? Where the eff did all the money go that we can't afford to have primary and general elections in this country? (I have a theory about that, but too long to get into right now.) You're damn right it's a voter suppression POLICY of the TWO PARTY system we have. Politics. I'm like old George Washington. Who needs it?
floriduck
(2,262 posts)He also expected a fair fight. Based on roadblocks at every turn, it is definitely time to run as an Independent. Chances are, the GOP will try to replace Trump so expect the Donald to run as an Indie also. If that happens, Bernie will be our next President, in my opinion.
For all the critics that will say Bernie was never a Democrat anyway, I will say he has tried but the party wouldn't take him. Therefore, the Political Revolution just became a non-partisan one.
Bernie needs to put our donations to work and run his own way without having to jump through the hoops the Dems has placed on him.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... Hillary did. Point the finger at Bernie and say he's not a Democrat. My heart sunk when she did that. He is a Democrat now, since he changed his party affiliation. And we all know he's more of a Democrat than Hillary is, period. Another thing he chose to run as a Democrat for was to assure more of a chance that a Democratic party candidate would win the election. I'm with you, Bernie needs to do his best to ignore his opponent and full speed ahead!
bbgrunt
(5,281 posts)too messy and demand too much and don't give them enough big money. In fact, they believe we work for them, not the other way around.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)Renew Deal
(81,871 posts)ananda
(28,876 posts)???
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)Is anyone seeing a pattern here? This election is so crooked it's pathetic.
haikugal
(6,476 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)are supposed to be glad she is going to be our president. Wonder if the VRA would have covered this?
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)State provided no-cost transportation to polling locations. And/or a robust easy to use, mail vote system.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)The same voting methods, equipment, ratio per population of availability for every state if it's a federal election.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)This state by state crap needs to stop.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Oversight is fine, the access to ballots, data and machines, no. I don't trust local government officials to ALL be honest about elections.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)ViseGrip
(3,133 posts)ViseGrip
(3,133 posts)this is ridiculous!
ViseGrip
(3,133 posts)frylock
(34,825 posts)Of course, the people who are so glib about it today won't have a leg to stand on.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)gaspee
(3,231 posts)DO you know anything about Rhode Island?
I have never had to wait to vote in Rhode Island. Not once, not ever.
I will not have to wait in line to vote this time either.
They could close 3/4 of the polling places and I probably still wouldn't have to wait in line.
Rhode Island is a very small place - to the point I don't think people who haven't been here don't realize how small.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)My town hall will be open and it will be more than enough to allow everyone to vote in my town. I think it's far more confusing to open six polling places in a town this small for a primary.
My parents already submitted their mail ballots yesterday.
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)If your first inclination is to think closing over half the polling places in a state is cool (as if the state lost over half of its primary voters), we don't have anything to talk about.
You're not inconvenienced, so nobody else must be. Myopic, to say the least.
Dems have lost elections due to voter caging, poll taxes (voter ID), and closing polling places in traditional Dem voting precincts.
If you wanna be on the side of closing polling places, have at it.
restorefreedom
(12,655 posts)i have lost count
welcome to the third world, kids....
bkkyosemite
(5,792 posts)"OMG, I just checked my RI voter information & my party has been changed to republican. Being from Rhode Island, our primary is the 26th. Also, found out RHODE ISLAND IS CLOSING 66% OF POLLING PLACES FOR OUR APRIL 26TH PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY-that's 1 in 3.
I went to my town hall before the cut off date to vote in the primaries & checked what party I was affiliated with. I was registered independant & changed it to Democrat (just to be sure I could vote in the primary)."
This entire election is being rigged.
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)a hoax. The only thing real about them will be the riots outside on the streets. Sound familiar?
me b zola
(19,053 posts)...Citizens, do not wait for them to do it for us. We must act NOW, before election day.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)campaign?
me b zola
(19,053 posts)Last edited Thu Apr 21, 2016, 02:38 PM - Edit history (1)
This is all so frustrating. Maybe that's the point, for us all to get so frustrated that we just give up.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)the youth. They are not going to give up because it is their lives we are dealing with here.
laserhaas
(7,805 posts)The one where laws were made to be broken
By those tax paid to protect it
yardwork
(61,707 posts)Shemp Howard
(889 posts)RI Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State...all are Democrats.
Something funny is going on here, and for once it doesn't involve Republicans.
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)I would not be surprise if most of the poll closings are where young university age kids are.
Uncle Joe
(58,420 posts)seabeckind
(1,957 posts)Vote by mail.
No ID, better turnout, better informed, less costly.
The jerk who feels standing in the rain is patriotic can go to the central location and knock on the door and hand it to the security guy.
Lord, this country really clings to outdated nonsense, doesn't it?
bluedigger
(17,087 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)we have the election that does not exist. Between the 33 state back door deals, the super-delegates and this kind of shit - the voters are there but the election does not exist because an election implies a choice. That is being denied to us.
November may very well be the election no one comes to.
LiberalFighter
(51,085 posts)It takes time to find election workers to train and work the polls.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)mrmpa
(4,033 posts)in Allegheny County in PA, in my City of Pittsburgh Ward I was precinct #29, there were more than 29 in my Ward. Just in the City there were 34 wards, so just say average of 10 districts per ward, that is 340 polling places just in the City. That's more than twice the number in Rhode Island and the population of Pittsburgh is between 300,000 and 400,000 people.
Then go outlying suburbs which brings the metropolitan region to a bout 1.5 million add probably another 200-300 polling places.
Each polling place has a Judge of Elections ($120 pay) & at least 3 board members ($105 each) that's $335 pay per place. If Allegheny County can afford this, why can't Rode Island?
Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)The entire state government is controlled by Democratics
bkkyosemite
(5,792 posts)HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)Democat
(11,617 posts)But it's still clear that you're a right wing troll.
George II
(67,782 posts)Gore1FL
(21,151 posts)Cal Carpenter
(4,959 posts)democracy.
That's some fucked up shit, no?
vkkv
(3,384 posts)HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)Rhode island is a really small state. It takes about an hour to drive through it.
A high turnout for a primary is about 216,000 total for the whole state. They're bringing in hundreds of extra booths and are hiring more poll workers per locale so while there may be lines, it won't look like say Chicago in 2004.
All local television, radio and newspapers are reporting on it so people are hearing about it. It's a real small state and everybody is related to or knows everybody it seems so word gets around quickly there.
And there will be instructions at the closed sites as to the closest open polling place.
There are greater injustices to get riled up about, IMO.
((I have a lot of relatives in Rhode Island, I'm very fond of the place and keep up on it regularly))
w4rma
(31,700 posts)The corruption you see, isn't the corruption you are looking for.
Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)just kidding
HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)I'm just saying it's more likely there's no cabal orchestrating voter suppression going on.
It's a small state that's struggling with budget issues and consolidating polling locations for a primary is not nefarious.
But people see what they expect to see I suppose.
Peace,
Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)It seems like you want to downplay the impact of any possible voter suppression in Rhode Island.
HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)Having to walk a few more blocks or drive another mile to another polling place?
Waiting 20 minutes to vote instead of 10 minutes? If that?
What exactly are you rising up against in a very manageable election like the primary for the State of Rhode Island? The folks who set out to vote will vote. It's not like the Polling places will be so far away from each other, so remote and hidden, with mile long lines manufactured to create voter suppression. It's just not...the state's not that big and the population's not that huge to create the situations you picture...
My mom used to say, you pick and choose your battles....
Is this really a battle? Feels like just an opportunity to pile on and complain about stuff...
gaspee
(3,231 posts)It is a very small place. I live in the 2nd largest city in the state.
I have never, ever, ever had to wait in a line to vote in Rhode Island. Not once, not ever.
They could close 3/4 of the polling places in the state and I wouldn't have to wait in a line.
There are about a million people in the entire state.
HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)But if corruption is what you see, well that's what it is for you.
Have a pleasant day.
w4rma
(31,700 posts)Arizona used the "saving money" excuse too.
HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)However, here's a first hand account of voting from someone who lives in Rhode Island
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1107&pid=111235
6. My polling place
Is normally the elementary school in my neighborhood - it has moved to the senior center at the other end of the parking lot (with a high school between) - they are BOTH usually polling places which is a GIANT waste of money.
I swear all these people screeching about voter suppression are a bit crazy - they don't know a thing about this state and they are tearing their hair out over it.
w4rma
(31,700 posts)HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)No I am a lifelong PROUD democrat who knows Rhode Island.
And for the life of me I don't get why you think this is voter suppression.
Pick and choose your battles. This is not a voting crisis. Even Rhode Islanders say so.
Fight the good fight but fight a real one.
Peace
w4rma
(31,700 posts)HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)I would think after 30,000+ posts you would have had a clearer sense of parties, politics and policy differences.
Ok, I'll believe you don't know the difference but it's a curious thing to admit about yourself
w4rma
(31,700 posts)And, yes, I can't tell you Hillary supporters from any typical Republican. Ya'll parrot the same precise talking points that they do and typically take the same precise positions (but for our DINO, instead) as they do.
Democat
(11,617 posts)Constantly bashing Democrats and name calling.
HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)But you called me a right wing troll
What's that ditty with rubber....glue
Democat
(11,617 posts)Check DU rules.
HillareeeHillaraah
(685 posts)w4rma
(31,700 posts)Anyone who defends that is an enabler of corruption.
frylock
(34,825 posts)My Good Babushka
(2,710 posts)... and now we can't even afford elections! We might as well close shop.
George II
(67,782 posts)....decide not to OPEN (as opposed to "close" all of their polling places because primary turnout is typically 1/3 to 1/2 that of a general election.
It's not a conspiracy, it's a common sense move that has been done frequently in the past.
perdita9
(1,144 posts)This is the oligarchy trying to stay in charge.
If you don't have $ for elections, then the first place you should to go get it is from the tax breaks you gave to corporations.
Bodych
(133 posts)...and you'll understand why we can't have single-payer, why we must work with banks instead of breaking them up, why we can't provide free public college to ALL, etc.
If anybody imagines that Bernie Sanders and his supporters concocted this, you don't know how to read the writing on the wall.
Now figure out why this decision was made this week, why it was so vital to act now. Are the crowds at Sanders rallies scaring some people?
Or maybe we should just wait until AFTER the damned results are a done deal and irreversible.
The SCOTUS started this, and the Democratic party is a willing accomplice.
What exactly ARE the cost savings, btw? Are they so major that the DNC couldn't pick up the cost to leave the polling places open?
WhiteTara
(29,722 posts)and vote early if it's an option. There is some warning this time, don't get caught in the squeeze/
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)elections no matter the cost. Huh.
gaspee
(3,231 posts)And I vote in every election. Not once, in all my years of voting here, have I ever had to stand in a line to vote. Not in presidential years, not in primaries, not in general elections - not in any single election - EVER - has there been a line. I mean, not even having to wait 10 seconds. No line whatsoever. I have voted in the morning, in the middle of the day, at the last second. I never go at the same time.
I live in the 2nd largest city in the state.
Paranoid people who have no clue, I do not think you have to worry about Rhode Islanders having to wait in line.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)In many districts. Also 126000 purged in Brooklyn is half the voters. The idiots who say means nothing because Clinton won Brooklyn 60-40 are really excusing voter suppression? They are no different than republican hacks then and are another reason Americans want nothing to do with the two party system anymore. Hey geniuses...voters could've been purged based on specific demographic data like is done in the South. On the South there is a 900% better chance you will be purged if you're Black. In a NY democratic primary that wouldn't help Clinton so I bet it was done primarily to young voters or another group disfavoring Clinton.
jmowreader
(50,562 posts)According to Wikipedia, there is 1,045 square miles of land in the state of Rhode Island. There are thirteen metropolitan areas in the United States that have more land than the entire state of Rhode Island. And as with most states, the majority of RI's population is bunched up in the cities.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar - and sometimes a cost-cutting move is just a cost-cutting move. They should be fine with 144 polling stations.
captainarizona
(363 posts)We had to stand in line for 5 hours!
msongs
(67,441 posts)Android3.14
(5,402 posts)This whole thing is a disgrace and we are going to regret the whole mess if we end up electing Clinton or Trump.
Democat
(11,617 posts)Check Rush Limbaugh's website, you'll find much to love there.
sweetloukillbot
(11,068 posts)chapdrum
(930 posts)Democracy.
thereismore
(13,326 posts)LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)See what they have to resort to? If we'd consented to a coronation, no worries!