Eatontown voters may have new polling places Citing security concerns, Board of Ed tells boro schools can't be used BY LAYLI WHYTE Staff Writer Mayor Gerald Tarantolo was expected to meet with interim Schools Superintendent Barbara Strubble yesterday to discuss Eatontown Board of Education's request that the borough schools no longer be used as election polling places. Tarantolo said at the Jan. 10 workshop meeting of the Borough Council that he had received an official letter from the board stating its intention to no longer permit voting to take place at borough schools. Strubble said last week that security is the board's top concern, and that it is tough to guarantee a certain level of security on election days. "We used to have election days off," she said, "but now we have students in the school while people are coming in and out to vote." She said that the voting machines have to be placed either in the hallways where students are moving all day, or in the gyms, which disrupts the schools' lunch time routines. "We can't secure the building with people moving in and out all day long," Strubble said. "We can't afford to hire police." Tarantolo said that this change would affect seven of the borough's voting districts, since the borough has used three of the schools as polling places for quite some time. "I see this as a real problem," he said. "The public is already acclimated to these places." Tarantolo said that the board has agreed to let the schools remain in use as polling places for both April's school board election and June's political primary elections, but after that, the borough will have to find a new place for residents to vote, including in the school elections. Municipal districts four and nine vote at Woodmere School, districts five and six vote at Memorial School and districts three, seven and eight vote at Meadowbrook School. Tarantolo said that he is concerned about a lower voter turnout if people are unsure of the location of new polling places. "I think it is absolutely deplorable," said Councilwoman Joyce Englehart, "with all that we do for the schools that they would do this." Councilman Theodore Lewis said he is concerned with the lack of options the borough has for polling places. "We don't have a lot of firehouses," Lewis said. "If it's the Board of Education's position that they want the entire general public to drive out to remote locations to vote, I think that's ridiculous." Councilman Carl Sohl said he could understand if the board was interested in not allowing voters to use the schools only during the district's upcoming renovation project, but he said he did not understand the general prohibition. "If second-graders can work around the construction," said Lewis, "I'm sure the general public can, too. It's not just about what we've done for the schools, but what the schools are willing to do for the public." Lewis said that at Memorial and Meadow Brook Schools, people go directly into the gym to vote and do not enter the school itself, and he believes that does not pose a great security risk.