Amusement Park Pro Helps a State Prepare for Long Election Lines
- Park executive advises distractions to keep voters occupied
- Election chief suggests suffragette actors, promo videos
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Ohio election officials are turning to the pros at the self-proclaimed “roller coaster capital of the world” for tips on how to manage long lines of socially distanced voters this November.
Abundant visual cues, reassurances that the wait isn’t long, and ample distractions are essential to helping people put up with standing in queues for the Nov. 3 general election during Covid-19 safety precautions, Jason McClure, vice president and general manager of the Cedar Point amusement park said Thursday.
“If people don’t have info they assume the worst,” McClure said during a meeting convened by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. “Communication is key.”
LaRose (R) said his office may develop promotional videos to display in precincts, and he suggested that local election boards have impersonators dressed as suffragettes or George Washington to distract bored voters. Some precincts will create rope barriers and “estimated wait” signs, he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Ebert in Columbus, Ohio at aebert@bloomberglaw.com
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Katherine Rizzo at krizzo@bgov.com; Tina May at tmay@bloomberglaw.com
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