Two local legislators have introduced bills in their respective houses in Harrisburg to remove polling places from schools for security reasons.

State Sen. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe and Northampton, and state Rep. Marcia Hahn, R-Northampton, are pushing the nearly identical bills that would make school polling places a choice only when there is no other alternative.

Neither of these bills is far enough along to take effect in time for the May 15 primary elections. Scavello introduced his bill last November, and it has been assigned to the State Government Committee. Hahn’s bill has not been assigned for committee study yet.

There is also a provision in the Pennsylvania Election Code that prohibits police officers from being within 100 feet of a polling place unless they are summoned there for a disturbance or actually casting a ballot themselves.

The idea against this prohibition made sense when the law was first conceived since its intent was to eliminate the fear of possible voter intimidation. Of course, now, and especially in light of the major school shootings in Parkland, Florida; Sandy Hook, Connecticut; and Columbine High School in Colorado, this provision of the law is outdated and needs to be updated.

On a typical school day, doors are locked to outsiders, who must go through an elaborate security process to be granted admittance. On Election Day, however, voters are free to come and go without encountering locked doors or tight security, but, thankfully, this is starting to change.

In the Times News area, no schools are used as polling places in Carbon or Schuylkill counties, while five are in Monroe County. Most of the nonschool polling places are at fire halls, municipal buildings and churches.

Some districts which host polling places declare Election Day as an in-service day for teachers, while students enjoy a day off from classes. Among them are the Northwestern Lehigh and Bethlehem school districts.

When first enacted, the Pennsylvania Election Code found schools as desirable polling places because they are public, centrally located, well-known to local residents, and, usually, there is ample space to conduct the polling process.

The Code says: “… where possible and practicable, schoolhouses, municipal buildings or other public buildings …” should be chosen for that purpose.

Well, that was then, and this is now. In the past, schools were polling sites more often than today, and security was not a major concern. This is no longer the case in a post-Columbine and post-9/11 era.

Common Cause, a defender of using schools as polling places, says that Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan have the strongest statutory language encouraging the use of schoolhouses as polling places.

While Common Cause encourages the use of schools as polling places, it also recommends that Election Day be considered an in-service day without students present.

According to National School Safety and Security Services, one recommendation is for school district administrators and safety personnel to meet before Election Day with their elections board administrators to discuss safety and security issues and guidelines for poll workers and poll operations.

Another is for schools to restrict election voting to one location or area of the school. Ideally, this location will have its own entrance and exit, thereby requiring voters to enter and leave without going through the rest of the school building.

Many schools use their gymnasium, for example, which has doors where voters can enter and exit to and from the outside without going into the rest of the school. Student classes normally held in the gym are relocated elsewhere in the building for that day.

I find the Scavello and Hahn bills to be important in light of the school tragedies which have occurred in recent years. Any additional steps that we can take to protect our children from danger are worth serious consideration.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com