With 2024 on the Horizon The Richmond County Board of Elections met to discuss 2024 polling locations at their regularly scheduled meeting.
Travis Doss Jr., Executive Director of the board, delivered a 2024 Advance Voting Report with proposals by both an AD HOC Committee and County Staff. The information is listed below
*Note as of 5/11/23 ONLY the AD HOC Committee was accepted. All other proposals and consolidation recommendations were voted to be viewed as only information at this time.
Current Early Voting Locations
- Linda Beasly Room
- Henry Bringham Community Center
- Robert Howard Community Center
- Warren Road Community Center
New Policy Proposal AD HOC Committee for early voting
- All four polling locations to be open for the full 17 day periond
- The Hours would be from 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Both Saturdays would be offered
- Sunday voting would be offered at the municipal building only from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM
New Policy Staff Proposal for early voting
Countywide elections
- Saturday and sunday voting to be from 9 to 5
Less than countywide
- only the dowtown location would be open
- The times would be 8:30 till 6:00 weekdays and 9:00 to 5:00 saturdays
- No Sunday voting
Possible Challenges
- Henry Brigham community center is currently under construction and will not be finished until mid year 2024
- Robert Howard Community Center has basketball in march and activities throughout the year
- Warren road has basketball in march and after school activities throughout the year.
- Cost per location will be an additional $25,000 to $35,000 per location each election
Possible Replacement Locations Identified for general election
- Charles Evans Community Center: 1866 Highland Avenue Augusta, GA
- Jamestown Community center: 3647 Karleen Road
- Gracewood Community Center: 2309 Tobacco Road
- Julian Smith Casino: 2200 Broad Street
- Terrace Manor Elementary
- Willis Forman Elementary
- Snelling Convention Center
Polling Place Consolidation recommendation by staff
The staff recommended 4 polling places(5 Precincts) to be consolidated and combined due to their size.
- Precinct 103 Wallace Branch Library
- Black Voters: 85.65%
- White Voters 4.11%
- Other 10.24%
- Precinct 110 Augusta Deliverance
- Black Voters: 84.30%
- White Voters: 16.9%
- Other: 9.51%
- Precinct 111 Paine College
- Black Voters: 56.33%
- White Voters: 30.95%
- Other: 12.72%
- Precinct 302 Friedman Branch
- Black Voters: 61.67%
- White Voters: 24.67%
- Other: 13.66%
- Precinct 507 Friedman Branch
- Black Voters: 52.03%
- White Voters: 26.69%
- Other: 21.28%
Consolidation Proposals
Combine 507 with Sharon Baptist
Sharon Baptist: 3673 Registered Voters
Combine 302 with Covenant Presbyterian
Covenant Presbyterian: 4215 Registered voters
Combine 103 with May Park
May Park Community Center: 1806 Registered voters
Combine Paine 111 with Kroc Center
Paine College: 1087 Registered voters
Combine 110 with Carrie J. Mays
Data currently unavailable
After a brief discussion a motion is made by board member Sherry Barnes to accept the proposal of the AD HOC Committee and take all other presented material as information for the time being.
These recommendations for consolidation according to staff are the result of funding and staff issues. Budgeting issues will more than likely continue to be discussed in the following months leading up to elections, even more so with elections costing more and things like SB 222, which makes it so that local election officials are not allowed to directly accept grants or gifts in excess of $500.
Nevertheless, the move, for now, tables talks of consolidation until later in the year at the very least.
These meetings are open to the public by Georgia law.
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