Three voting locations across Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties have been moved ahead of November’s elections.
In Oktibbeha County, two locations have made permanent changes. A precinct at Starkville Fire Station 3 on Garrard Road has been moved to Trinity Presbyterian Church at 607 Hospital Road.
The voting location at Humphrey Coliseum on Mississippi State University’s campus has moved to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at 607 University Dr.
Sheryl Elmore, deputy election clerk with the Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk’s Office, said the move, in both instances, does not impact voting precinct lines. All voters who voted at the old locations will simply go to the new ones, she said.
“People think because of that, everything changed, and it didn’t,” Elmore said. “Everyone is where they’re always supposed to be — it’s just where they go vote.”
Elmore said the new location at Trinity Presbyterian Church is handicapped-accessible with adequate parking.
Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk Tony Rook also said the new location has proper heating and cooling, which is important for a voting precinct.
“It’s mainly for our people, but those machines need it, otherwise they don’t work properly,” Elmore said. “We don’t need them shutting down. That’s what would happen — if they get too hot they shut down.”
With the voting location at the Humphrey Coliseum, Rook said MSU approached the county and asked for a move. He said the new location may work better for voters, who won’t need to compete with university students for parking.
“My understanding is the members of the athletic department approached members of the election commission in that district and asked them to find a different location because that current location interfered with MSU athletics,” Rook said.
“Parking is always an issue anywhere on campus, so there’s much better parking,” he later added. “You’ve got plenty of room, adequate heating and cooling, and handicap accessibility.”
Rook said election commissioners have recently sent out about 3,000 notifications to voters to inform them of the voting location changes. Elmore said the notifications included a new voter card and a letter explaining the polling place changes.
Rook said the changes are another example of why it’s important to keep personal information updated with the circuit clerk’s office.
“Please notify our office any time your address changes,” he said. “Because if we send out mail and we get it returned, your voter status can be moved to inactive, which takes you off the poll books.”
One voting location in Lowndes County has moved.
Fannie Brewer, with the Lowndes County Circuit Clerk’s Office, said the Union Academy voting location has moved to the 15th Street Church of God in Christ at 917 15th Street North.
Brewer said the change is, at the moment, a temporary move, but may become a permanent change due to lighting issues at Union Academy.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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