Voters in the Union precinct in eastern Marion County will change locations for future elections.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Monday to move the polling place from a privately owned building on Lampton Hilltop Road to the Keno Fire Station at the corner of East Baylis Chapel and Lampton Hilltop roads.
A decision was needed quickly because the lease was up, repairs were needed and absentee voting for congressional primaries begins Saturday.
The notice of changes will be mailed out to voters in the district.
The Board had been discussing a lease and repairs on the current building on Lampton Hilltop Road and needed to come to a consensus with election commissioners. Commissioner Mike Bennett joined Marion County Circuit Clerk Janette Nolan and explained the deadline.
Nolan said discussions needed to be completed Monday to send the ballot approvals off on Tuesday.
Board Attorney Joe Shepard said they need to start moving all polling places into county-owned buildings, if possible.
Nolan said the fire station could be quickly adapted for use as a polling station.
“There are portable partitions that they make,” she said. “They’re pretty good sized. We also would need a portable air conditioner. The partitions would be cloth on stands. We’ll do whatever you want to do. We wanted to make you aware that there would be costs involved.”
“Even if we had to get some type of partition, I think it would be cheaper to do that than repair the current one,” District 2 Supervisor Terry Broome said. “It looks like there is a lot of work to be done.”
The precinct name will likely be changed from Union, and Nolan said she would need to know the official title to change documentation.
“Would it be permanent?” District 5 Supervisor Calvin Newsom asked.
“I’m assuming it would be permanent,” Board President Randy Dyess said. “It is a county building.”
“We can get the 911 address for the fire station and publish that,” Nolan said. “I don’t want to send the cards and letters out before everyone is aware.”
Newsom made the motion and District 4 Supervisor Raymon Rowell seconded it. The vote was unanimous to change the location.
