The last weeks of the campaign season raised an important question for area voters – if you don’t have a car or bike, and wish to vote in person, how do you get to DuVal High School at Greenbelt Road and Good Luck Road for in-person early voting or to Eleanor Roosevelt High for in-person voting on Election Day, November 3?
A small group of Democratic Club volunteers led by Renauta and Brian York and Konrad Herling offered to provide such service on a non-partisan basis but learned that the safety standards were too demanding. When facing the ongoing concern of making sure folks without a personal vehicle can vote, the Greenbelt City Council asked the Public Works Department to provide transportation on Greenbelt Connection vans to both locations.
Staying Safe
Public Works continues to take steps to make absolutely sure that the vans are safe, including sanitizing them frequently. Van drivers wear face masks and riders are also required to wear masks. City Manager Ard and Public Works Director Jim Sterling stress that the city follows CDC and county health guidance to keep riders safe. Further, to address safety concerns, each van will carry no more than four passengers.
Reservations
To make a reservation, call Public Works at 301-474-4100 at least two days in advance of the desired date – but the earlier the better as demand may be high. If, rather than voting in person, the rider wishes to drop a mail-in ballot at a voting drop-box, the person requesting the ride can let the Public Works Department know so appropriate accommodations may be made.
Operating Hours
The van operates Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, hours of operation for transportation to the polls are from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Voting So Far
According to the county’s Assistant Elections Administrator Daneen Banks, 24,707 residents have already voted at the county’s early voting sites. Nationally, as reported in the October 27, 2020 issue of The Washington Post, over 69 million Americans have already voted, a number, according to the Post, that is already more than half the total number of those who voted in 2016.