SANFORD, Maine — The November general election is nearing and communities in Maine are getting ready for thousands of people to flood the polls.
In at least one Maine city, voting will look different this year and not everyone is happy about it.
Recently, city councilors in Sanford approved a plan to consolidate its polling locations. Originally, voters had three places to vote, but now voters will only be voting at the high school, or by mail.
“It is easier to manage one site,” Sanford Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy, said.
Herlihy told NEWS CENTER Maine more than 30% of ballots are now done by absentee voting and choosing a single, centralized location makes sense.
"It’s very accessible," she said. "It has plenty of room inside the gymnasium for probably almost 20 more polling spots than is mandated by the state of Maine rules, and plenty of space inside for cueing on a nasty day.”
Despite praise for the move, some have criticized it.
"I can’t support this," city council member Jonathan Martell said at a recent meeting.
Martell voted against the plan. He was not available for comment, but at the same meeting, he expressed concerns over the likelihood of long lines at the single location and how voters will get to the high school.
"I think this will turn people away and that is one of the things that people are pointing to as potentially voter suppression," Martell previously said.
Herlihy argued, that many communities only have one voting spot and voters aren’t being suppressed in Sanford.
"[The high school is] in the middle of our community," she added. "I think voter suppression is when you take it out of an area and require people to go 30 miles."
The city is making an effort to spread the word about this change. In addition to mailers being sent out, the city's website has all the details.
Herlihy said councilors are expected to approve funding Tuesday night to help transport voters to and from the high school on election night.