BERKS COUNTY, Pa. – There are some unique places you can go and cast your ballot in Berks County.
“They came in,” said John Masano. “We said ‘hey, come on down here’, and here we are.”
What do I have to do to get you behind the wheel of this brand new voting booth?
“We maintain the look and feel of the dealerships, but back here you can see the truck shop, used vehicles, inspection,” Masano said.
It’s a unique polling location this year at Tom Masano Auto Park on East Wyomissing Boulevard in Reading. When Berks County election officials said they needed a spot, Masano came along for the ride.
“We’re very big in the community. We’re a part of Reading. We grew up here,” Masano said. “We used to vote on Kenhorst Boulevard.”
The former Baldwin Hardware building now features a cars and art gallery, an area highlighting sustainable agriculture and automotive facilities.
Election officials say finding a polling place is a challenge.
“Finding polling locations is actually one of the hardest jobs we have. The location has to agree to be a polling place for starters. A lot of places don’t want to commit to the full day, so they need to be ADA accessible,” said Anne Norton with Berks County Election Services.
Be it a traditional polling location or not, election night is in full swing in Berks.
“We ended up at a car dealership. We have one at a funeral home as well,” she said. “Wherever it works is where we like to go.”