CMS leaders push for change to state voting law amid security concerns

CHARLOTTE — With Election Day just a few months away, local school leaders are hoping for a change to state voting laws.

Currently, several Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools can serve as early voting sites.

While the large space allows several people to vote simultaneously, some are nervous that this may be a security issue.

CMS officials say classes at some schools will be suspended on Tuesday because of conflicts with scheduled voting areas.

The district’s executive director of government affairs, Charles Jeter, says at least 70 schools will be open from 7:20 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday for people to vote.

While this may seem like an accessible way to voice one’s opinion in the 2024 election, Jeter believes having class in session while the public is showing up to cast ballots could be a safety concern.

“They wouldn’t have to go through the lobby guard or our evolve scanners to scan it, there would be no metal detector for them to go through,” he said.

Mecklenburg County Election Director, Michael Dickerson, said schools are often picked at voting locations due to their convenience, but said this year they’ll have to work with the school to address security concerns.

“This is our election, but we’re at the mercy of the school tomorrow if you need to put us in a smaller room, that’s fine for this election,” Dickerson said, “we’re trying to work with those schools.”

Although county election officials are open to working with the school system, CMS is requesting a change from state lawmakers in the school board’s newly approved legislative agenda.

Officials are asking the state legislature to pass Senate Bill 285, which would require the CMS Superintendent’s consent before using certain schools in the district as early voting sites.

Dickerson says the last time early voting was held in schools was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic during social distancing protocols.

“I think this is a thing where they want assurance that we can’t just walk in cause early voting worked well in the November 2020 election,” he said.

Jeter believes instead of just automatically defaulting to schools there should be a process in which election officials use them as voting sites.

“They will default to schools and I don’t blame them for that, we believe we should have a say in that process of not only which schools are used, but how they’re used.”

(WATCH BELOW: Early voting ends in Mecklenburg County - What to know ahead of Election Day)

Early voting ends in Mecklenburg County - What to know ahead of Election Day

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