As Nov. 5, approaches, public buildings such as K-12 schools, churches, and college campuses throughout the country, including Gretna East, are preparing to open their doors to local citizens so they can cast their votes in the 2024 presidential election. Locally, polling places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
While the building is a polling place and community members will be coming and going all day, school will still be in session. However, the entire building will not be open to the public. Voters will only be allowed to use the Northwest doors, numbered 13, to enter and exit the building.
“They’ll [voters] park in the Northwest parking lot by the baseball field and the athletic complexes, and then you walk across the street right into that northwest corner,” Assistant Principal Jami Ewer said.
Once in the building, voters will be directed to the auxiliary gym to vote. The entire area will be closed off to students throughout the day.
“The goal is to keep the students and the public separated,” Assistant Principal Michael Tomjack said. “We want it to be a normal school day as much as possible, without interference or anything like that.”
Administration has made their priority on Election Day student and staff safety and have arranged for extra security around the building.
“They will assign another deputy to that location [where voters will be] to make sure there are no disruptions or disturbances going on, which is always nice, and we have a full-time SRO [School Resource Officer], so he’ll still be here,” Tomjack said.
For a building to be assigned as a polling place, it must have sufficient parking available for voters, which is something Gretna East has; however, with Election Day also being a school day, there will be slight changes to the school parking lot to accommodate voters, but it is not expected to impact student parking.
“There are a few coaches that park over there, but it’s not student parking,” Principal Chad Jepsen said.
As for the Gretna East staff members, seniors and the handful of juniors who are eligible to vote, they will have to wait until after the school day to do so in the aux. gym or at their assigned location.
Confirm your polling place location here: votercheck.necvr.ne.gov
“Voting runs from 8 in the morning to 8 at night, so there are opportunities to vote after school, so most students and staff will be voting after school,” Jepsen said.
Even though they will have to wait for the 3:20 p.m. bell to ring to go cast their vote, the school’s first-time voters are excited to have their voices heard and make a difference.
“I think it’s a kind of cool experience to think about where we have one, not only hit the age where we can do that kind of stuff but also our opinions can now be shared and used in these elections,” senior Ayla Meraz said. “I’m honestly kind of excited to be a part of it.”
