On election days, 75 WCPSS schools share their buildings with voters. These 56 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, and 6 high schools serve 54,301 students, or 34.2% of WCPSS enrolled students.  39,494 voters entered school buildings while school was in session for the Primary Election on May 17, 2022. At some WCPSS schools, voters are unable to be fully separated from students, sharing an entrance and hallways.

More than 100,000 voters are expected to vote in person at WCPSS school polling locations for the 2022 General Election, a day on which WCPSS is scheduled to be in session on all calendars.

The Concerns if WCPSS Schools Remain in Session on Election Days:

• Election days give ill-intentioned people easier access to school buildings and students
• Cones, ropes, and hallway monitors are inadequate barriers for stopping an armed person
• School campus traffic and parking are negatively impacted (especially during carpool, arrival, and dismissal times) trying to accommodate voters
• Voters could potentially increase the spread of COVID since they are not a part of the students' COVID "school bubbles" 

Election boards can demand to use public school buildings for voting. Schools and WCPSS cannot refuse. Neighboring districts have scheduled teacher workdays on election days to ensure both student and voter safety. In February 2022, the Wake County Board of Elections requested that WCPSS schedule a teacher workday for the next two general elections, but WCPSS 2022-23 calendars have not changed. (Read More: News & Observer Article)

While every school and school administration does their absolute best to ensure student safety every single day, election days pose an incredibly large and unnecessary risk to student safety. 

With your support and voice, we can work to change this by asking WCPSS to make all election days, teacher work days!

We are asking WCPSS to make calendar adjustments ASAP so that WCPSS parents can plan and care centers can make arrangements to offer teacher workday camps on election days.

Read more about this issue here: Safe School Polling