YUMA — The Yuma County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 15 approved a resolution to designate two emergency vote‑center locations that can be opened if a scheduled vote center becomes unavailable for the Sept. 23 special election.

The board approved the consent‑calendar motion to adopt the emergency locations after a period of questioning by supervisors about site choice and geographic convenience for South County voters, particularly residents of San Luis.

Background and discussion: Elections staff explained the emergency sites are pre‑approved backup locations that would be opened only if one of the county’s six planned vote centers becomes unusable on election day. Staff named the Somerton Community Center and a county public‑works site as the two emergency locations on the agenda. Supervisors asked why other nearby public buildings — such as certain city halls, libraries or fire stations in San Luis — were not selected. Elections staff responded that site selection must meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, connectivity and space needs, and that some desirable locations had been unavailable or already booked.

Board response: Supervisors pressed for better geographic coverage in future elections, noting San Luis’s large population and asking staff to consider different emergency sites earlier in the planning process. Elections staff said the two emergency sites approved on Sept. 15 were selected to ensure voters in South County have a nearby contingency location if one of the regular centers fails.

Outcome: The board adopted the resolution approving the two emergency vote centers for the Sept. 23 election. Elections staff said they will consider additional site options and accessibility requirements when planning future emergency backups.

Ending: Supervisors urged staff to continue reviewing accessible, well‑located backup vote centers and to provide clearer mapping of contingency plans to board members before future elections.