Most American citizens today, over the age of 18 are entitled to vote in federal and state elections. Still, as society keeps casting its votes and new fears emerge, a modern concern begins to surface:
Why are we still putting voting booths in schools?

Not only is it a safety concern among parents and students alike, it is a security issue for school shootings. As wonderful as it is to have a country where people from all walks of life can vote, that also means many people who

may be dangerous to schools get the right to vote there. Some schools have a certain room used for these events that are separate from the students but even then this stranger is just a door away from students.

From 2021-2022 there were 515 students killed in school shootings alone. That number goes up every year and having so many people come into a school in one day makes it harder for security to prevent these shootings.

In this day and age, it seems like a no-brainer to save the polls for different locations simply for the safety of children. There are so many public government facilities such as town halls, the library, and firehouses. Instead, unknown people are let into public schools at a time of high risk and learning. It may be seen as less “convenient” for some families because the school might be closer to their home, but they need to think of the safety of all children and possibly their own and make an effort to travel to a new polling place.

Election year tends to be a slightly more dangerous time with an unmistakably high pattern of hate crimes according to CivilRights.org. During voting season the country is more divided than ever and bringing this tension into schools does not have any good effects.

To combat this fear, schools around the nation need to cancel school on election day or move the polling booths to another location.
Let there be a change next voting season.