The county sent out an interesting notice today, alerting voters in the University Hall precinct to a scheduling conflict on Election Day. November 6 is the date of the the Police concert at the John Paul Jones Arena. The doors open for the show at 6:30pm, while the polls are open until 7:00. Voters are alerted that they “may experience significant traffic and parking issues” when attempting to vote after work. Seems to me that U-Hall may simply not working as a polling place anymore. After all, UVa can hardly be expected to keep their venue dark on Election Day.
The good news is that tickets to the Police concert apparently aren’t selling. Nosebleed seats are $52, and prices soar up to $227. I’m a lifelong fan of The Police, but ain’t no way I’m paying $200 for a decent pair of seats.
Of course – don’t you know that the Police concert that the JPJ officials are hoping will bring in thousands is far, far more important than anyone’s civic duty and right to vote? Or, for that matter, the parking needs of any UVA employees – we all know concerts and basketball games are far more important than anyone’s job. Bring on the tow trucks!
They have apparently relaxed the parking regs a bit. They went from just a few spots (two for the Dems, I assume two for the Republicans, if they even show up at this 70% Dem, low turnout precinct, and I assume spots for poll workers). Now, there are 18 spots for voters (remember them, UVA?). They say that there will be a traffic pattern that won’t interfere, but I’ll believe that when I see it. That doesn’t consider the voters who won’t even try to come, knowing there will be traffic nightmares. Given this election cycle is the lowest turnout you can get, anything that hampers that motivation to vote will not help. UVA dropped the ball on this one.
And then we have this gem to add to the confusion.
From the WCAV website.
Anyone working the polls on Election Day is paid by the state and by their employer, but now Charlottesville Registrar says UVa employees manning the polls on November 6th are being asked to reimburse the university for their missed day of work. This means everyone locally gets paid for helping with elections, except those employed by UVa
Each worker is paid $10.72 an hour, plus their employers still pays their normal salary.
“The university now is telling them that if the leave that they take as an election official is charged as civil then the employees are required to reimburse the state which means they want me to take the pay I would give them and pay the university for their time,” said Sherri Iachetta, Charlottesville Registrar.
However, UVa says that’s state policy and because they are state workers they aren’t entitled to the double pay everyone else gets to pocket. “As public employees it would be inappropriate to use tax dollars to pay them twice for the same day of service,” said Susan Carkeek, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, in a written statement.
Iachetta says this is wrong. In 2005 the General Assembly voted to protect the employment rights of election poll workers making it illegal for employers to fire or punish anyone choosing to be an election official.
She says this decision was intended to help localities find and keep much need poll workers.
“The General Assembly must have thought this was very important in order to have passed a bill saying this in 2005, so it’s very recent and they must have thought it was very important to help out the localities,” Iachetta said.
At this point it’s a conflict in state policy and both are waiting for a decision from the Attorney General.
The request for the Attorney General’s ruling on the matter was filed Monday. No word on exactly when a ruling will be made.
Is it time to start hating UVA yet?
I hope the new JPJ arena is big enough for Sting’s ego. I remember seeing him being interviewed on TV a few years back and he said something like, “Every Breath You Take is the most played song on radio – ever! And I wrote it.” What a blowhard. I think it sucks!
You don’t have to put on the red light…(whistle, hum)
People who want to vote, will vote. Others will find an excuse (crowds, weather, parking).
I hope this blog will keep up with the AG’s decision in this silly pay matter. It seems to me they have too many people working in the payroll office if they have time to keep up with this sort of thing.
i agree they should move the polling place. however, polls open at 7am. if you’re hell-bent on doing your civic duty, go early. don’t wait til 6:59pm and think you’ll breeze by concert traffic.
Well, all I have to say is that I’ll be glad when the election is over. This area has a Commonwealth’s Attorney who doesn’t bother to talk to either the defense attorney, or the victims, until the day of trial. There is a current Sheriff who truly thinks that the Sheriff’s Dept. should be a police dept. And the current sheriff thinks that Chip Harding should be the next sheriff. I’m thinking that’s because the current Sheriff wants to be an auxiliary attached to the Sheriff’s Dept. and the only way that will work is if Chip Harding gets elected.
Do me a favor, folks, and don’t vote for Chip Harding – the last time someone tried to make the Sheriff’s office into a police dept.(call him Ed Robb), the employees ended up spending a bazillion dollars of their own money on new equipment and uniforms, none of which they needed. And if they didn’t buy the equipment, they would be fired, by the way.
As for the Commonwealth’s Attorney race? Most people, unless their house has been broken into or their kid has been arrested, don’t even know what a Commonwealth’s Attorney does all day. Well, I know what a Commonwealth’s Atty. SHOULD be doing all day, but I think Albemarle County voters should pay attention and know that their current Commonwealth Attorney has botched a bunch of cases, including a murder case about 9 years ago, in which he fell asleep at the wheel, resulting in the defendant going free. I know this because I was one of the defense attorneys on that case and as a defense attorney I was grateful for his stupidity. However, as a citizen, I was apalled that he could be so stupid.
Think about that when you vote, assuming you will make the effort to vote.
Hey,
Who cares about the voting…they’re all crooked and out for themselves anyway…..shut down the voting and start the concert!
By they way, no problems parking or getting in and the show was prety full…..doesn’t look like anyone had difficulties.