This Upcoming Primary State Just Closed 66% of Polling Places

[babylonsister]

This Upcoming Primary State Just Closed 66% of Polling Places
Nathan Wellman | April 20, 2016


The Rhode Island Board of Elections has announced that it will open only 144 of Rhode Island’s available 419 polling locations for the upcoming April 26 presidential primary. Officials are reducing the number of sites by two-thirds in an effort to cut costs, according to WPRI.

They have apparently not learned from Arizona’s mistakes, where many voters had to wait up to five hours in line to vote after the number of available polling locations was reduced from 400 in Maricopa County in 2008 to 200 in 2012, and then further slashed to 60 during this March’s primary fiasco.

Director of Elections Robert Rapoza defended the decision by saying that the 2008 presidential primary also implemented a reduction and experienced no real problems. However, he chose not to mention that in 2008 there were 541 total locations available for the general election compared to today’s 419. Thus, this latest two-thirds reduction still results in 33 less pollings stations than in 2008’s primary.

The executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island John Marion had an alarmingly nervous way of expressing his support for this move, saying he was “cautiously optimistic” that the primaries would go smoothly.

Marion said he was mostly concerned that many voters don’t even know these cuts are happening. “I don’t think enough has been done to make sure voters know that they likely won’t be casting their ballot at the same location as they did in November of 2014,” he said.

Many are especially concerned with Cumberland, RI, which normally has thirteen polling locations in a general election. Next week it will only have three.

more...

http://usuncut.com/news/rhode-island-primary-locations/

[noretreatnosurrender]

1. Sadly

They have apparently not learned from Arizona’s mistakes, where many voters had to wait up to five hours in line to vote after the number of available polling locations was reduced from 400 in Maricopa County in 2008 to 200 in 2012, and then further slashed to 60 during this March’s primary fiasco

They learned all too well. They want the same result.

[dana_b]

11. yep!

they learned well from their Repub mentors.

[farleftlib]

2. Arizona redux

this is getting really ridiculous.

[NobodyHere]

3. Parties should pay for their own primaries

[yeoman6987]

4. Colorado stopped primaries because it costs 5 million dollars

This is where I wouldn't have a problem of PACs paying the primary.......250 million would be worth while for every person who wants to vote anywhere in the U.S. could have a chance to participate.

[me b zola]

5. Hopefully a suit will be filed in time to force them to open the polls

[suffragette]

10. Second this.

This is infuriating.

[restorefreedom]

6. rec for exposure

effort to cut costs my ass

more like an effort to cut votes. ri has an open primary unlike the other tuesday states. it would be a chance for a big bernie win.

and we know there can't be any more of THAT.....

[passiveporcupine]

7. Oh fuck, not again!

Are they being paid to do this?

[Unicorn]

8. This is happening in every state. I call it voter suppression.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

9. You called it. Welcome to DU. It's unbelievable "Unicorn" was available! nt