RICHMOND COUNTY. Not all things are Coronavirus-related. Voters in Richmond County may be surprised to find the Board of Elections relocated their polling site. The board faced a difficult situation, when according to Minutes from the January 13, 2020 BOE meeting, Wildwood Christian Church informed board members their site was no longer available as a polling place, effective immediately. Georgia statute requires county election superintendents to submit a written report to the State Election Board no less than 90 days prior to an election, when the plan includes moving a polling place outside the boundaries of a precinct. However, Executive Director Lynn Bailey said, although the board could meet that State’s 90-day requirement, it lacked enough time to give the public adequate notice. Bailey reported the change affected nearly 4,000 voters. The BOE held a special meeting January 23, 2020, and the polling site officially moved. Hephzibah constituents in Precincts 404 and 509, who previously cast their votes at Wildwood Christian Church, vote at Winsor Spring Baptist Church, 3692 Winsor Spring Road.
Hephzibah is not the only area where polling location has changed. The Board divided Precinct 102 constituents who previously voted at Crawford Avenue Baptist Church. According to Travis Doss, Assistant Executive Director, Crawford Church did not offer handicap accessibility. Effective immediately, the North side of Walton Way votes at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, 1833 Broad Street, Augusta. Constituents on the south side of Walton Way vote at Paine College Heal Complex, 1255 Druid Park Avenue, Augusta. The new locations will more readily enable handicapped constituents to vote.
Precincts 302 and 507 previously voted at Christenberry Fieldhouse. The Board moved the polling place to Friedman Branch Library, 1447 Jackson Road, Augusta, after citizens complained about Christenberry’s long, up-hill driveway. The driveway made it difficult for voters utilizing public transportation, Doss said.
Anyone who is not sure of their voting location can find out by going to the Board’s website, www.augustaga.gov/527/Board-of-Elections and pressing on the “Where do I vote tab?”
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