By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES— In order to cater solely to voters, the Naples Town Hall will close its front counter to all services not related to the election this upcoming Tuesday.

Officials in the Town of Naples made this call months ago — realizing that since 50 people would be the limit for the number of people gathered in the town gymnasium, it would be best on Election Day to limit the amount of people coming into the town office for other reasons.

Naples Town Manager John Hawley talked about plans during the final week before Election Day.

“For us to be able to effectively move people through the building and to run the election to meet COVID requirements that will keep voters and staff as safe as possible, the town offices will only be open for voting on Tuesday, Nov. 3,” Hawley said. 

Some of the staff will be working the election along with temporary election workers.

However, on Election Day, there will be a few employees working in the office, and they will be available by phone, Hawley said.

The public “can contact us over the phone,” he said. “We will be closed to walk-in municipal services. We just cannot permit walk-in traffic for people who are not here to vote.”

People who are voting will be moved in one direction. Voters will enter the building through the front door. Voting booths will be set up in the gym. The gym door by the kitchen will be the exit to the parking lot. 

It’s not too late to register to vote; and people will still be able to do that on Tuesday. 

Just to throw a monkey wrench into the state-mandated rules which limit gatherings to 50 people or less, there has been a request for poll observers to come into Naples polling space. 

The town cannot turn away poll watchers or poll observers, Hawley said.

“With a 50-person cap on the gym space, we will need to allow for ten poll workers which will permit up to 40 people to vote at a time. We have already had requests for poll observers and depending on if they show and how many, the number of voters will be reduced by that number. There will be observers. It will draw down the number of people who are allowed to vote” at that time, Hawley said.  

“They don’t have to be from this state. They can freely come in and observe the election process. Because of COVID restrictions we have tape on floor where they will be allowed to stand,” he said. 

“Folks are being warned to anticipate long lines,” Hawley said. 

Residents don’t have to worry about being stuck in line after 8 p.m. and being turned away. If a person is in line at 8 p.m., he or she will be able to vote.

“At 8 p.m., the registrar will take note of who is in line, and all those people will be able to vote,” Hawley said.

However, the absentee ballot drop box will be shut, and no more absentee ballots will be accepted after 8 p.m.

In the neighboring Town of Casco, the polling place is the Casco Community Center. Therefore, the town hall, which is a different building, will be open per usual. 

The community center gymnasium is where people will be directed to vote as Casco’s Interim Town Manager Don Gerrish pointed out during a selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday.  

“A week from tonight, this facility will be very crowded as we hold our election,” Gerrish said. 

“We do have a limit of how many people can be in the gym at one time. As you all know, it will be 50 people. People will enter through the gym doors and go in a circle. Those who are able will leave through the back door,” he said, adding that people who are physically unable to use the stair outside the gym doors will be able to circle back around. 

Town staff have mapped out where polling booths will go in the gym, and workers are prepared for the big day. 

“We are in good shape for the election,” Gerrish said.

Even sweeter, the town received a $5,000 grant to go toward election costs.

“Our clerk [Penny Bean] was notified that there was an organization that was funding specific costs that are part of this election,” Gerrish said, adding she applied for the grant.

The Center for Tech and Civic Life awarded $5,000 to the Town of Casco.

“All over the state, towns are getting money to take care of costs” associated with the 2020 election, Gerrish said. 

Some of the legitimate ways that grant can be spent include: paying poll workers, recruitment, training expenses, cleaning election places, temporary staffing, and buying equipment.

“It will cover all the additional costs. We have had some this year,” he said.

He suggested that perhaps the town would invest in a laptop to be used during this and future elections.