Elections staff told the board they are actively searching for a permanent polling place for precinct 7A after prior partner locations stopped hosting the precinct. The office said the precinct previously used the Unitarian Universal Fellowship and Grove Baptist and that partners have since withdrawn availability, leaving staff to contact nearby churches, schools and public facilities.

Staff said they contacted several local sites this week, sent written proposals and requested to meet with facilities committees where required. At least one church that was approached declined to host the site because of scheduling conflicts. The office said it will prioritize public buildings where possible but expects it may have to designate an out-of-precinct location if no in-precinct facility is available. Staff emphasized time sensitivity, saying the office must secure a site “as early in January as possible” to meet Secretary of State reporting and public-notice deadlines for out-of-precinct locations.

Board members suggested options including nearby public schools (Betty Holston and Clark/Clark Miller were discussed by name in the meeting), the county airport and the tennis center as alternatives. One member asked whether the office could create two locations that both serve multiple precincts; staff noted state rules on precinct designation and that voters ordinarily must receive new precinct cards if a change is permanent. Staff also noted the elector-superintendent authority in Code section 21-2-269, which allows the superintendent to cause a temporary polling room to be constructed if no proper polling place can be obtained, but said the office hopes to avoid that “nuclear option.”

The board directed staff to continue outreach, to meet with facilities committees where requested and to return to the board with updates next month. Staff said they have a written proposal ready and had sent a letter to one church about an hour before the meeting; they asked board members to identify additional public sites the office should approach. No formal vote was taken on a specific 7A site during the meeting.