BIDDEFORD — Due to lack of space and parking, renovations and other problems with the city’s three current polling places, in March, Mayor Alan Casavant appointed a committee to investigate consolidating elections at a single location.

Last week, City Clerk Carmen Morris presented the committee’s recommendation to the city council, which calls for holding elections for all seven city wards at the Tiger Gym at Biddeford High School on Maplewood Avenue.

The committee made this recommendation, she said, “due to inadequacies of current polling places.”

A public hearing on the issue will be held May 20, during the regularly scheduled city council meeting. Morris encouraged residents to attend the public hearing and share their opinions.

Currently, wards 1 and 2 hold elections at the public access television studio; residents of wards 3, 4 and 5 vote at the J. Richard Martin Community Center; and those living in wards 6 and 7 place their votes at the Rochambeau Club.

As a result of renovations to the public access studio, there is less space for voting, said Morris. In addition, the parking lot there is small and in disrepair, she said.

Lack of parking is also a problem at the community center, she said. During the day, people attend a variety of programs held there ”“ like adult education classes and meetings of the 50 Plus Club ”“ which takes up much of the onsite parking.

Renovations to the community center gym had to be postponed recently because of an upcoming election, said Morris, and activities that take place in the gym are displaced at election time.

There is plenty of parking at the Rochambeau Club, she said, but handicap-accessibility is in the back of the building and voting takes place in the front, which makes it inconvenient for those with disabilities.

One advantage of holding elections at Tiger Gym is that the high school is owned by the city.

In addition, said Morris, Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray “is very supportive of us using the gym.”

She said he wants more residents to visit the school to see the product of the $34 million bond they approved to renovate the building.

Morris said Ray has assured her he’d make the gym available for any election.

The high school’s Steve White gymnasium had previously been used as a polling place, prior to the school’s renovation, for wards 6 and 7.

Parking to allow all wards to vote at the school is still a concern, however, especially because scheduled school days will not be called off for an election.

However, said Morris, students and staff would be advised to park in specially designated spots, to allow premium parking for the public. Areas on Maplewood Avenue where parking isn’t normally allowed would be open on election days.

Police Chief Roger Beaupre, who was part of the committee recommending consolidating voting at the Tiger Gym, has said he would assign more officers to the area to direct traffic flow and parking on election days, according to Morris.

The gym provides adequate space to fit all the equipment and voters from all the wards, she said. Other benefits include that it would be easier for candidates, who can stay at one place rather than traveling to multiple polling places on election day; it would be more efficient for city staff to set up at a single site; and it could save some money in operating elections.

Morris said the layout would be similar to that of Saco, which has a single polling place located at the Saco Community Center.

“It’s been working great for them,” she said.

Morris noted there will likely be some resistance to the idea, but those who don’t want to vote at a different polling place can vote absentee, she said.

Over the years, because of the ease of absentee voting in Maine, it has “grown by leaps and bounds,” she said.

Councilor Bob Mills said while he supports consolidation, he doesn’t support the proposed plan.

“I fully support consolidating the polling places,” he said, but he wants the single polling site to be the community center, where his constituents currently vote.

“I won’t support the high school (site),” said Mills.

“This is a bad idea,” said former Mayor Joanne Twomey. “It disenfranchises the voters. I think you should leave it alone.”

Councilor Michael Ready said he felt even at BHS, there wouldn’t be adequate parking for elections.

“I have concerns about the parking,” he said, “but I just don’t have a better solution.”

A public hearing on whether or not to consolidate voting to a single location at the Tiger Gym will be held Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m.

Depending on the comments expressed during the public hearing, the council may vote on the issue in June. If the measure is approved, the general election in November would be the first to be held exclusively at the high school.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].