Who picked the polling location for Rutland?

[godfatherI]

Good grief - the 'Y' on Hartman Road was an awful place to get out and vote. I don't mean the facility itself - the new upgrades are awfully nice. Thankfully, neither of us was in a wheelchair or using a walker.

Either the turnout was larger than expected (which is a good thing as the more that come out to vote the better), or they just didn't care how much it seemed to inconvenience the staff and members trying to get in and out of the facility. I am awfully sure it was at the very least a fire hazard as entrances were blocked with people weaving in lines.

For different types of elections over the years, we have been to Centennial Hall, RSS, the United church up near Fitzpatrick and years ago, even the little church at the corner of McCurdy & Rutland Rd where the K of C held their meetings.

We did get a parking spot close to the entrance but once we got inside the line of people waiting snaked across the front doors (pretty much blocking the entrance), around by the pool window, then back across the reception area and into the hallway. If you were visiting the Y to get information at the front reception area - good luck - you wouldn't get near it. Once you snaked around the entrance the line was down both sides of the hallway - right past the vending machines! Wow - have prices ever gone up in those things - but that's another story. It did make for some interesting comments from the waiting people as we slowly shuffled by.

The actual voting room was not very large - tables were set up to register and receive your ballot along the walls and in the middle another 'S' line as we waited to get to the tables at the other end to cast our vote. By the time we walked out - an hour had passed. We did see people leaving without voting - the line-up was too much for them. Hopefully they tried another location.

Standing in line and waiting to vote didn't bother us - we weren't in a hurry and if the volume we saw is a sign of an increased voter turnout in Kelowna - all the better.

It was just a very poor location - there wasn't enough room for everyone and as mentioned earlier if you were in a wheelchair, walker, or had a hard time walking/standing for any length of time, I don't now if they could had even made it through the narrow hallway with a line of people on both sides.

The selection of this location was not thought out very well and seemed disrespectful to anyone with a mobility problem. I sincerely hope that anyone affected by the lack of room and accessibility was able to stick it out and cast their vote. It would be a shame if they weren't able to do so because someone made a poor decision on the voting location for Rutland.

At least waiting in line, we got a chance to chat with some very nice people along the way.

Good luck to all the candidates - we had quite a selection this year!

[Lady tehMa]

We've always voted at Springvalley on Ziprick. The lines weren't too bad.

[Nom_de_Plume]

Voted at East Kelowna Hall, about an hour ago.
No line, didn't have to wait
I've dutied my civic I feel good!

[rutland1]

I picked the winners. lol

[just popping in]

I agree, Y on Hartman was the wrong place for a polling station.

[healthnut]

i guess it should have been at the cadillac lounge instead......

[Bpeep]

I voted at the Y, mid afternoon. I was in there an entire hour.

[signgrrrl]

Why weren't the school gyms weren't being used? Last gov't election it took me about 5 min to vote at Black Mtn. school.... Thank you though to all who braved the lineups at the Y!!

[GenesisGT]

Logitack wrote:take the city of kelowna survey on election...

http://www.kelowna.ca/CM/Page3626.aspx

Fill out the city poll, on the last page suggest better polls in Rutland, I did.