In the United States, voting has traditionally been held in designated public locations such as town halls, churches, and courthouses. However, in recent decades, many voting precincts have increasingly relied upon high schools as their preferred locations for casting ballots. The primary reason for this shift is convenience. High schools are readily available, many have convenient parking, and they tend to be centrally located in communities.
In addition, many high schools have the physical space to accommodate large groups of voters, lines of chairs, and the various booths and equipment needed to support a complex system of voting. Furthermore, since most schools are not in session on Election Day, students and staff are not inconvenienced by the process. Finally, seeing as schools are hubs of the community, hosting the voting in them helps to impart a sense of civic duty and involvement amongst the students and community.
At times, polls are held in other places, such as synagogues or other religious institutions. However, due to the practical reasons mentioned, high schools have become the default voting location in many areas in the United States.
