Polling Place Upgrades Sought

Add more signage to polling places. Set up earlier. Split shifts so that poll workers don’t have to work such long days.

Those are among the New Haven Election Task Force’s recommendations for how to fix the Elm City’s voting mess.

The task force convened for a final meeting this Wednesday night at the municipal building at 200 Orange St. to submit recommendations to the Democratic and Republican Registrars of Voters to help the city’s recent bouts of Election Day pandemonium.

In last November’s election, broken machines, long lines, and understaffing resulted in an exhausting day for poll workers and voters alike. In the days after the election, poll workers and moderators worked painstaking hours counting votes. It ended up taking days for New Haven to release the official tally for the gubernatorial race between Ned Lamont and Bob Stefanowski. It was just the latest in a series or botched elections in New Haven.

To address the problem, members of the task force, including Victor Fasano, Jim O’Connell, Jayuan Carter, Morris Cove Alder Sal DeCola, Michelle Rodriguez, and task force chair Naomi Campbell, have been meeting with voters and polling staff since mid-spring. The task force visited each of the city’s 40 polling places to understand the functionality of each location and figure out how to make them more ​“user friendly.”

“As a committee we went out to all the polling places, and reviewed how to come in, how to exit, how the tables are set up, and where the ballot boxes are,” Campbell said.

She said the task force studied each location and now has specific suggestions on establishing a smooth flow of voters through each building. To help this flow, Campbell said some wards already create multiple lines, separated by last name or street name. ​“Maybe we need to look at those wards as a model for more wards because it gets everyone in and out more efficiently.”

For every location, Campbell said ​“without a doubt, we recommend they hire more staff.” She said each polling place should have staff to help direct voters while multitasking to fill different roles. ​“All positions should be covered at all times.”

The task force also suggested getting translators, and recruiting staff from colleges who can work the long hours. ​“It’s a very long day, people come in at five in the morning and they’re sometimes there until 10 or 11 o’clock at night.” Campbell said allowing split shifts for older staff might help make the workday more manageable. The force said polling places should let elderly workers come in for earlier shifts, while bringing in younger workers for later shifts.

The group said that more comprehensive training could help to speed up the process. In preparation for Election Day, ​“sometimes the workers get a crash course, and that may not always be the best way.” Campbell mentioned using a standard PowerPoint presentation or a hands on method for training, but did not elaborate further on what this might look like.

Members of the task force said older voters reported trouble seeing the ovals on the ballots and said the registrar should look into using darker ink. Also to help voters, the task force said they’ve ordered and are ordering more signage for polling places. They said this signage could include directions and ward information.

Currently, most staff come in at 4:30 a.m. to set up tables and chairs for each polling place’s opening at 6 a.m. The task force said polling places should be set up the evening before so workers can come in later. Part of this early preparation includes the ​“blue bins”: The gigantic metal containers hold all voting books, tabulators, phone lines, pens, and pencils to be used at each location. The blue bins are sealed and locked the day before the election. The task force suggested checking to make sure ample supplies are inside.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the task force submitted their report of recommendations to Democratic Registrar of Voters Shannel Evans. Evans said she and Republican Registrar of Voters Dolores Knight will discuss the suggestions and send the list to a consultant, who will then draw up and submit a final list of recommendations to polling place workers and moderators.