ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. — A Rockingham County judge has ordered the early voting site in Reidsville to be reopened to voters.
The center located at the Salvation Army on Barnes St. closed Wednesday, after several poll workers tested positive for COVID-19.
According to Board Chairman Royce Richardson, 12 of the 13 poll workers in total were out of commission. The situation has left the Rockingham County Board of Elections scrambling to make alternative arrangements.
"We are trying to locate trained workers to be able to open the site. Many of our workers have had to quarantine leaving us short," said Janet Odell, Interim Director, Rockingham County Board of Elections.
The polling site was deep cleaned and election officials stressed that at no time were voters at risk because they didn't spend extensive time in the area and all of the protocols were followed for COVID-19 prevention.
Some voters who were unaware of the closure showed up to vote but were confused and upset when informed they had to go elsewhere.
"We've been voting here for quite a while, we just came right up and saw cars and that was encouraging but apparently they are not open so we can't vote here today," said Robin Carson.
There also wasn't visible signage at the entrance of the polling site.
"They should have posted it somewhere so people would know," Paul Carson said.
The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Rockingham County Board of Elections over the indefinite closure. They said it amounted to voter suppression because the next available polling centers were miles away in Eden, Madison, or Wentworth.
"I definitely feel for those that don't have the ability to be mobile and wouldn't get their vote counted," early voter Yassir Ahmed said.
The lawsuit said the closure would disenfranchise voters and sought to reopen the polling site and with extended hours.
"With the pandemic going on they should have prepared for this type of thing to happen and obviously they're not," said Jason Ross, an attorney in Rockingham County.
"The poll site has been closed for two days and as far as we understand there's been nothing done to try to get this place open," Ross said.
"I hope they get it fixed before the actual election because that would be a big deal," Carson said.
An injunction from the Rockingham County judge has forced the site to re-open Saturday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
According to Royce Richardson, board members went to various one-stop sites and “begged and pleaded people to go to Reidsville.”
“I’m sorry it was closed for days but we really tried to get enough people who were trained,” he said.
Richardson said 10 people will be there Saturday, 6 being fully trained and the others able to perform minimal tasks. He said he believes there’s going to be a long line at 8 am with the site likely being open long after 3 p.m.
“I’m not upset with the judge’s decision,” Richardson said.
As an alternative, the board contacted a local busing company to bus voters from Reidsville to Wentworth but NC democratic party said no, he said.
