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October 29, 2008
A message for campaigns, candidates, and voters
Dear candidates, supporters, and staff,
Please do the public a favor and, after early voting closes on Thursday evening, October 30, remove your signs from in front of the early voting locations -- in particular, the Brainerd Recreation Center on North Moore Road.
As we saw on August 7, voters do show up at the early voting sites expecting to vote on Election Day, and the numerous campaign signs help lure them. The Brainerd Rec site is particularly confusing, because for some voters in a few precincts at different points in the recent past, that was their Election Day polling place, as well as an early voting location. While your campaign signs have been helpful in pointing out where to vote early, they will have the opposite effect if left standing on Election Day.
Thanks for your understanding and assistance.
And to voters:
As of August, 2008, the Brainerd Rec Center is designated only for early voting. There are no ballots there on Election Day. The last precinct to use this as an Election Day site was the Brainerd precinct, number 6, which now votes at the Brainerd Baptist Annex (aka "BX") near the corner of Belvoir Ave and North Terrace.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that the Election Commission, for what I'm sure are valid reasons, has moved several other Brainerd-area precincts' voting locations over the past few years. So if voters do happen to mistakenly come to the Brainerd Rec Center, it can be challenging to get them to the correct location. When asked what precinct they're in, many will say "Brainerd" (as they are referring to the general area, not the actual voting precinct ), even if they are really in Woodmore, Eastgate 1 or 2, Eastdale 1 or 2, and so on.
I bring all this up because it will be my job, for twelve hours on Election Day, to redirect voters away from the Brainerd Rec Center and to their correct voting locations. I did the same thing on August 7, and I had a few frustrated people tell me that they just weren't going to vote. I don't want that to happen now, as I didn't then. I want to help people to vote. This public message is one way I plan on doing that.
Elections , Politics is Personal | By joe lance | 6:49 PM
