Rusk County trims number of polling places

By MELISSA TRESNER   Longview News-Journal   March 29, 2005

Rusk County commissioners agreed to cut the number of polling locations from 37 to 21 at a meeting Monday morning, a move that will save the county money and headaches, County Judge Sandra Hodges said.

Hodges said the changes must be approved by the state and the U.S. Department of Justice before they go into effect next year. "The boxes won't be changed until after the election in November," Hodges said.

Commissioners have discussed consolidating the boxes at several meetings since February and also held a workshop last month.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires that each polling location in the country have at least one direct record electronic system by January to allow disabled voters to cast ballots unassisted.

Consolidating the boxes will save the county money by having to purchase fewer of the costly machines and employing fewer clerks for elections.

The machines cost between $3,000 and $5,000, so the county could save at least $48,000 by eliminating 16 polling locations.

The commissioners' goal also was to remove voting boxes from schools, churches, fire stations and other buildings not owned by the county.

Scheduling conflicts at those locations, as well as security concerns, prompted commissioners to look at moving voting to buildings owned and operated by the county.

Hodges said the new polling locations will come with new numbers. For instance, in Precinct 1, polling location numbers will be three digits beginning with a "1." In Precinct 2, the number will begin with a "2."

A letter explaining the changes will be sent to voters, along with new voter registration cards, after November elections, she said.

Hodges said commissioners did a good job of finding centralized locations in each of the 21 areas, so people won't have to travel far to vote.

"I think on the whole, it's going to be as convenient (as the current system)," Hodges said.

Also Monday, commissioners discussed hiring a new manager for the Tommy McDaniel/Rusk County Exposition Center and Agriculture Barn. The judge's office will handle the events scheduling until a manager is hired.