Voting? Head to church, not school

To avoid clashing with classes, Hernando officials will move voting places from schools. Most replacement sites will be in churches.

By DAN DeWITT

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 17, 2000

For the first time in 12 years, Hernando County schools will be open this year on election days.

For 10 schools that have served as polling places, the primary, runoff and general elections -- Sept. 5, Oct. 3 and Nov. 7 -- were going to be dates to dread.

That concern disappeared last week, however, when Hernando Supervisor of Elections Ann Mau announced that she had found replacement polling sites, most of them churches.

Principals and administrators had envisioned overcrowded parking lots, miniature traffic jams, inconvenienced voters and potentially endangered students.

"Safety was our main concern," said Wendy Tellone, Hernando County Schools assistant superintendent for elementary education.

Normally, few non-school employees are allowed on campuses, and only for specified reasons, Tellone said. "And then (on election days) you have just anyone here. We're not saying the voters would cause problems, but you never know."

Though Superintendent John Sanders had said schools could accommodate the elections while classes were in session, School Board member Jerry Milby urged district employees to look for alternative sites.

Tellone said she had already started doing so.

"I was pursuing this, and he was pursuing it, and we kind of got together," she said. "He's done the majority of the work."

Mau also played a key role in the process.

She said her office began looking for other sites shortly after the School Board voted in February to have schools open on election days. The scheduling change was part of an effort to complete the first semester before the winter break.

Mau will send letters informing voters of the changes. She urged them to take note of the new locations before the elections to eliminate any problems.

Here are the changes in polling places, listed by precinct: Precinct 7: Brooksville Elementary School has been replaced by Northside Baptist Church, 11014 Broad St., Brooksville.

Precinct 10: Moton Elementary School has been replaced by Wesleyan Church, 8168 Jasmine Drive, Brooksville.

Precinct 15: Deltona Elementary School has been replaced by St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 2401 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill.

Precinct 20: Westside Elementary School has been replaced by Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 6193 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill.

Precinct 27: J.D. Floyd Elementary School has been replaced St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 13485 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill.

Precinct 29: Spring Hill Elementary School has been replaced by the Loyal Order of the Moose, Lodge 521, 5214 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill.

Precinct 33: Fox Chapel Middle School has been replaced by Spring Hill Church of Christ, 5456 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill.

Precinct 36: Eastside Elementary School has been replaced by Hillside Community Church, 27440 Cortez Blvd., east of Brooksville.

Precinct 40: Springstead High School has been replaced by Spring Hill United Church of Christ, 4244 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill.

Precinct 51: Powell Middle School has been replaced by the Pristine Place clubhouse, 4350 St. Ives Blvd., Spring Hill.

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