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Monday, February 11, 2008

Weather won't deter elections officials - Top Stories - (HometownAnnapolis.com)

Weather won't deter elections officials - Top Stories - (HometownAnnapolis.com): "Weather won't deter elections officials" By PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer Published February 11, 2008 Elections officials said they're ready for tomorrow's primary election, despite any curveballs Mother Nature may throw at them. There's some wintry weather in the forecast - snow flurries in the morning and rain in the afternoon - but nothing that should hamper voting much. "We're ready to go. Everything's perfect," said Joseph A. Torre III, the county's elections director. Yesterday's high winds - with winds gusting up to 52 mph - caused one snafu, when an electric pole near Severna Park High School was knocked over, sparking a small fire. The school lost power and classes were canceled today for students and teachers, said school system spokesman Bob Mosier. An information session for students and parents about scheduling also was canceled. Aside from the problems at Severna Park High School, government officials also will deal with a less-than-ideal weather forecast for election day tomorrow. The weather will be warmer than today, with a high near 40. But there's a slight chance of snow showers in the morning and a 50 percent chance of rain in the afternoon, said Trina Heiser, a meterological technician with the National Weather Service regional office in Sterling, Va. But the rain isn't likely to freeze and the winds should be bearable at 10 to 15 mph, Ms. Heiser said. "Everybody feels confident that Western Maryland will get well within what they can handle," said Ross Goldstein, a deputy administrator for the Maryland State Board of Elections. Severna Park High School also is a polling site, so Mr. Torre and Mr. Mosier were hoping that power would be restored in time for the election. Even if power is restored, there is worry that pipes could burst and cause a mess or that it might take a long time to bring the building's temperature up to an acceptable level. Mr. Torre said his staff would stay in close contact with school officials and Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. BGE reported about 700 Anne Arundel customers were still without power this morning. Power was restored to nearly 13,000 homes and businesses in the county between 2:30 p.m. yesterday and 10 a.m. today. BGE spokesman Linda Foy said the goal is to get power back to the school by tonight. According to the county Fire Department, the pole was knocked over and started a small fire at about 3:30 p.m. A total of 22 firefighters battled the high winds to keep the fire under control until BGE crews arrived at 7:20 p.m. County firefighters handled 55 calls for brush fires, downed wires and other weather-related problems between 3 p.m. yesterday and 3 a.m. today, said Lt. Frank Fennell, a department spokesman. State officials are hoping voting tomorrow will go off without a hitch. The state election board has been in touch with the Maryland Emergency Management Administration about the weather since Friday. Mr. Goldstein said primary turnout is usually 30 percent, but with the high interest in this election, turnout could reach 35 or 40 percent. Just in case there's significant snow or ice, the State Highway Administration is ready with its salt trucks and snow plows, said spokesman Chuck Gischlar. He suggested voters check www.marylandroads.com and click on the "CHART" link to check road conditions before heading out to the polls. Mr. Gischlar said his agency is keeping a close eye on the weather. "It's the same as we would do for any other storm. We are prepared for any contingency Mother Nature has," he said. Staff writer Heather Rawlyk contributed to this report.

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