There will be changes to some polling locations for the November general election, and the Highland County Board of Elections is reminding local residents that the deadline to register for the election is Tuesday, Oct. 9.
Steve Witham, elections administrator, said the board voted last Thursday to make the polling location changes.
He said the reduction in the number of polling places will reflect a savings of approximately $95,000 in the purchase of a new voting system due to the need of fewer precinct scanners and ADA devices. He said that when Senate Bill 21 passes, requiring just two poll workers at each precinct instead of the current four, the county will save $7,533 per countywide election, and that the cost of polling place setup and Election Day technical support rover expenses will also be reduced.
“We, as public servants and stewards of the county’s monies, have been forced to combine precincts due to the purchase of new equipment per advisory 2018-03, the difficulty of finding qualified precinct election officials, and for us to remain fiscally responsible,” the board of elections said in a news release.
The polling location changes include:
• Jackson Township residents will now vote in Marshall Township at 11090 SR 124.
• Clay Township residents will now vote in Mowrystown at 28 W. Main St.
• Concord Township residents will now vote in New Market at 5350 New Market Rd.
• Liberty Northwest, Penn, Union and Washington township residents will all vote at the Southern State Community College Patriot Center in Hillsboro.
Under the new alignment, no voter in Highland County will be required to travel more than nine miles from their original polling location, according to Witham.
On Oct. 9, the final day to register to vote in the Nov. 6 general election, the board of elections will have extended hours from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Voter registration forms are available at the board of elections, public libraries, Bureau of Motor Vehicles or Highland County Treasurer’s Office. If you are already a registered voter and need to update your address, visit www.highland.ohioboe.com and update online.
To register to vote in Highland County, you must be a current resident of the county, 18 years of age or older, and a U.S. citizen.
If you have any questions, contact the Highland County Board of Elections at 937-393-9961.
The board also said in a news release that early voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 10. It said that during gubernatorial general elections it will be open during the following hours:
• Weeks one and two of voting — beginning with the day after the close of registration for the election, except on any holiday established by state law, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Week three of voting — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
• Week four of voting — 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Saturday before Election Day, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Sunday before Election Day.
• The week of Election Day — 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Monday before Election Day.
“If there are any in-person absentee voters waiting in line when voting ends on a particular day during the in-person absentee voting period, the in-person voting location shall be kept open until those voters who were in line when the location closed for the day have cast a ballot,” the news release said.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522.
