City’s consolidated voting kicks in today Bangor clerk: It’s not too late to register

BANGOR – After several months of preparation, the city’s newly streamlined voting procedures will make their debut today, when the city’s voters take part in the June primary elections.

Though today is Election Day, it’s not too late to register to vote or to enroll in a political party, according to City Clerk Patti Dubois.

Those who plan to do so should bring proof of identification and residency in case those are needed.

Primary elections are open to voters who are enrolled in state-sanctioned political parties, which now comprise the Democratic, Republican or Maine Green Independent parties. Residents can enroll in a political party right up to and including Election Day, Dubois said.

About half the city’s voters were reassigned to new polling sites because of the City Council’s decision earlier this year to cut the number of polling sites from eight to four.

For the first time today, Bangor voters will be divided among four sites: Bangor Civic Center on Dutton Street, Bangor Community Center on Davis Road, Bangor High School on Broadway and William S. Cohen School on Garland Street.

Scrapped were the former polling sites at Fairmount School on Thirteenth Street, Mary Snow School off Essex Street, Abraham Lincoln School on Forest Avenue and Fourteenth Street School.

The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. at all four sites.

While the reduction in polling places means some voters now have to travel farther to do their civic duty, it also has allowed the city to provide more voting booths and election staff at each location, Dubois said recently.

She said it also allowed the city to triple the number of voting machines at each site, which means voting no longer needs to come to a halt in the event one of the machines breaks down.

For information about today’s elections, call City Hall at 992-4200.