Elections Judge Dumbfounded By Voters' Timing

A St. Louis County Elections judge expressed dismay Thursday that residents would want to vote minutes before poll closing time when "voters have 13 full hours to come out and vote." 

"Why some wait until the very last few minutes is beyond me," said Gary Arbesman, a St. Louis County election assistant supervisor—in an email to Chesterfield Patch.

Arbesman was responding to complaints by Chesterfield resident Jim Bunn that he was denied voting 10 minutes before 7 p.m. at his polling site Tuesday in Highcroft Ridge Elementary School.

Polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Arbesman said however, that the polls are open and shut by the "official time" on cells phones provided by St. Louis County Election Authority.

However, resident Bunn said he drove the 2-minute trip to the school from his house to vote because it was "pouring rain." His clock said 6:50 p.m.

"As I got out of my car, one of the candidates asked me to vote for her. As I walked into the gymnasium, there was no one at the first desk and some people were still behind the other desks," Bunn said. Two of three paper ballot voting stations were already broken down.

"There was some confusion, and they asked for someone to check me in. The supervisor walked up and said that they were closed. I looked up at the clock on the wall and it was approximately 6:50 p.m.," Bunn said.

"I said to the supervisor that I had approximately 6:50 p.m. and he replied that the clock on the polling machine said 7 p.m., and they were closed," Bunn told Chesterfield Patch. Bunn said he called his wife, and it was still before 7 p.m. by her clock.  

Election night, Director of Elections Rita Heard-Days said both Republican and Democratic supervisors at Highcroft Ridge school agreed it was 7 p.m. when Bunn wanted to vote.

"It was a very close call,” Heard-Days said. “That’s why we have a clock on the machines.”

Arbesman was not working at Highcroft Ridge on Election Day but said he had a similar situation elsewhere.

"No precinct is supposed to close 'prior to' 7PM. No one would want to refuse a voter, but if they try arriving at the 'last minute' and it is 7PM by the 'Official Time' then we cannot let them vote," Arbesman wrote in an email to Chesterfield Patch. 

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