A Statement of Concern
From the Board of the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge
September 22, 2021
The Anderson County Election Commission is planning to relocate the voting site of the City Hall precinct, but has preliminarily chosen to move it to the Oak Ridge Senior Center rather than the more appropriate site, Scarboro Community Center.
“Founded by the activists who secured voting rights for women, the League has always worked to promote the values and processes of representative government. Protecting and enhancing voting rights for all Americans; assuring opportunities for citizen participation; and working for open, accountable, representative, and responsive government at every level – all reflect the deeply held convictions of the League of Women Voters” (LWV Impact on Issues 2020-2022, p.17).
Voting sites should be located close to the voters in the precinct. The Scarboro Community Center is located within about a mile of over 60% of the voters in the precinct. The Senior Center is not near any of the precinct’s existing residential areas.
Voting sites should be safe from crime. Unofficial crime statistics provided by the Oak Ridge police department show that the reporting district identified as Scarboro ranks 6th in total reportable crime and tied for 6th place in violent crime and has less crime than some other voting locations. The community was considered safe enough for the new Oak Ridge Preschool which is located across the street.
Voting sites should be safe to reach by car or by walking. The Scarboro Center is located within the City Hall precinct with various access routes. Locating the voting site there will enable people to walk to vote on election day as they are observed doing so in other precincts in the city. Not everyone is eligible for voting absentee or owns a car.
Voting sites with a recognizable identity can instill pride in a community. Scarboro Community Center is a wonderful facility. Locating the voting site there can demonstrate democracy in action to the community and to the children in the Oak Ridge Preschool which is across the street.
“The League, nationwide, has worked for the fair and equitable implementation of early voting and vote centers” (LWV Impact on Issues 2020-2022, p.21). With this extensive history of working to protect and enhance Voters’ Rights for all Americans, the League supports the position of relocating the voting site for the City Hall precinct to the Scarboro Community Center.
Carolyn Dipboye, President