Voter volunteers complain about noisy DJs, handouts and parking at several Rockingham County polling places

At the start of public comment, Diane Parnell told the Rockingham County Board of Elections she was proud of the county’s election staff but raised several concerns about conduct and logistics at polling places during the recent election.

Parnell said volunteers attempting to hand out voting material at Osborne Baptist Church could not reach voters because of crowding, and she described a rotating DJ who played loud music at several polling locations; she quoted a volunteer who said the DJ was “just pumping up the excitement,” but Parnell said the volume made it difficult for people to speak and that the atmosphere felt like a party rather than a solemn civic duty.

She asked whether handing out food or other materials at precincts is allowed and said she had been told by the State Board of Elections that giving away food or non-voting materials is not permitted. Parnell also raised parking and traffic concerns at relocated sites (Mall Street School moving to a middle school and Zion precinct growth), and she reported an incident near Zion where teenagers in a vehicle fired shots while driving by — she said some voters left the site because they felt unsafe.

Parnell urged the board to review precinct locations and consider consolidations for efficiency and safety; she acknowledged some small community precincts would resist consolidation but asked the board to examine whether very small precincts remain necessary.

The board thanked Parnell for her comments and said staff would examine the specific sites she raised. The director previously noted the office is reviewing several precincts for consolidation and site suitability.

None of Parnell’s comments resulted in immediate board action, but they were part of the discussion that prompted staff and members to examine polling locations, parking and safety.