A proposal to consolidate voting in Bangor at a single location will strengthen the electoral process and should be supported, at least on a trial basis.

Rather than disperse voting machines and election workers to nine locations throughout the city, City Clerk Patti Dubois has devised a plan for all Bangor residents to cast their ballots at the civic center. This plan, which will be the subject of a public hearing tonight before the City Council meeting, has several advantages.

One is that the civic center offers much more open space than do the schools that serve as most of the city’s polling stations. This will allow residents to get inside out of the weather while the wait to cast their ballots.

It also provides more space to separate voting booths from candidates and those seeking to gather signatures for petition drives.

More important, all the voting machines (including backups) will be in one spot, as will the city clerk and other election officials. Currently, if a machine breaks at a polling place, there is a delay while a backup is brought in. If there are questions about a resident’s voter registration, the clerk has to be called or may have to make a trip to the polling place before the issue is resolved. By having all of the city’s voting resources in one place, problems can be addressed quickly and efficiently.

The consolidation will also benefit first-time voters because they will be able to register and vote at the civic center. Currently, they must first register at City Hall and their return to the neighborhood precinct to vote.

Some local residents have expressed concerns about parking at the civic center. In fact, parking is currently a problem at many of the school polling places. The civic center offers the advantage of a much larger and less used parking lot. City Clerk Dubois has already said she will set up a shuttle system to bring voters to the building’s doors if they must park far away.

Councilors are wise to try the new system when turnout is expected to be light. There may be a bond vote in June. November’s election, featuring no legislative or gubernatorial races, will also draw fewer people to the polls than, for instance, a presidential vote.

If Bangor’s experience is positive, which is likely will be, other communities should consider copying it.

Maine has one of the highest voter participation rates in the country. Making voting as smooth as possible in a central location should help keep turnout high.