Residents have voting options in Sun City West for upcoming elections

The Recreation Centers of Sun City West will host both the July primary elections, as well as the general election in November.

The Village Meeting Room, 19803 R.H. Johnson Blvd., will host the non-electioneering site. This is a new location than in years past.

From 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, voting will take place, then, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, July 13-Friday, July 17. The final days to vote at this location are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July 18, and Monday, July 20.   On election day, voting takes place from 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday, July 21.

The November election voting days and times include 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday Oct. 24. Voting will also take place 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26-Friday, Oct.30.  The final three days of voting at this location will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, Monday, Oct. 2 and then 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voting will take place in the social hall east, 19803 R.H. Johnson Blvd.

RCSCW General Services Officer Katy O’Grady said Maricopa County reaches out every year to confirm availability for the primary and general elections.

“We work with them to find a location suitable to their needs. Our venues aren’t always available, which is why the Social Hall won’t be used for the primary this year. But we try to provide a consistent location as much as possible,” she said.

The county has some dates that this location must be available, but O’Grady said early voting days are usually a little more flexible and that also applies to be a drop box location. The in-person election day is always firm for hours and dates, according to O’Grady.

She said it is most important to remain a non-electioneering site, due to the private nature of the organization. O’Grady said electioneering activities can often get rowdy and that is not appropriate for the RCSCW venue.  It is also important to provide an opportunity to vote close to home for  members, O’Grady added.

“Given our demographics, having something close and convenient is really important as not everyone here can easily navigate to an off-site polling place. It’s a nice service we can provide, and we are happy to be open to the public for this voting,” she said.

O’Grady said there are limited costs involved, including facility staff to make sure tables and chairs are available, as well as maintaining the bathrooms, which she said is minimal for the service provided to residents.

Northwest Valley Democrat Club President Maria Bears said it is important to have polling places in Sun City West because of the elderly population, who still want to vote in person.  She said not all elderly are trusting of mail-in voting, especially since so much effort has been used in maligning the mail-in process and claiming fraud without proof and with evidence that contradicts those claims. The representative also said thousands of workers are in Sun City West and this gives those people a convenient way to vote or drop off a ballot.

The group stated local and federal governments should ensure all forms of balloting be provided to accommodate the varied lifestyles, mobility issues and technically challenged.

Sun City residents have fewer options to vote in person this November, as there are currently no plans for the Recreation Centers of Sun City to host a polling station on its property.

RCSC President Tom Foster said this is a complicated issue, adding Maricopa County made a request to the RCSC to host a polling station but the RCSC found too many liability issues.

According to Foster, the county then offered a form of indemnification but it was found to not be adequate.

“It’s not that we don’t want to do this and be a good citizen in our civic duty,” Foster said on the matter. “But where we stand at the moment, because of our responsibility to the rest of the membership and the additional liability that we’re seeing from legal counsel and our insurance carriers, unless we can work something out on the indemnification, we’re a little way apart.”

He added if there were to be an altercation on its property, the RCSC would be sued for not being able to provide a safe place for the voting station. There used to be booths for people to vote at the Sundial and Mountain View recreation centers, along with a couple of churches in the area.

Larry O’Dea, president of the Sun City Democratic Club, does not believe the RCSC is being fully truthful.

“But I don’t believe that,” he said. “We have outsiders come into events all the time. I think the claim of liability issue may have some validity, but it’s really a red herring issue… I can tell you that it’s a big civic issue in that everybody, regardless of party, that I talk to wants a polling place here in Sun City. It’s a very popular issue.”

Foster said he wants there to be a place for residents to vote in person.

“I’m sympathetic to that. I’m a citizen, too, and I would like a neighborhood place to go to vote,” he said. “The RCSC is not opposed out of principle to do something like this. We want to be good citizens. It’s just the fiduciary situation and the potential liabilities that we just need to be adequately covered.”

O’Dea said because many Sun City residents face mobility issues, it can be difficult to get to voting stations outside of the community.

“I think they’re missing the bigger issue, that they oughta be doing everything they can to give their members of RCSC an opportunity to exercise their right,” he said. “It’s a matter of equal access.”

Arrowhead Republican Women’s Club member Rae Chornenky said it is a common American viewpoint to have as many locations as possible for people to vote.  She said in studies over the years access to easy polling locations does impact the amount of voter turnout.

“What I am concerned about is the focus on RCSCW making that determination. It is not the private sector’s duty to go out and find locations. I do not want to see everyone get stopped at one place, as that would be dangerous,” said Chornenky.

She said when Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes took over, the Republicans in the West Valley found polling locations in the West Valley were being closed. This included some that had been open for years and said ultimately it is the county’s responsbility to find locations. This includes churches, senior centers and even from time to time, businesses have opened their doors.

Chornenky said the club will host a candidate forum from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at Briarwood Country Club, 20800 N. 135th Ave.

Reporter Jennifer Jimenez can be reached at jjimenez@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.