Residents and Erwin officials debate relocating early-voting site; county to inspect both locations

HARNETT COUNTY — Residents and Erwin officials pressed Harnett County elections staff on whether to return early voting to the Erwin Community Building or keep it at the larger Parks & Recreation facility, and staff said it will inspect both sites before any decision.

Public commenter Rebecca Brock urged elections officials to stop placing early voting in the small Erwin site and “move it to the Dunn Community Center” because Dunn has “plenty of parking” and more space, saying the Erwin site “is very small.” Brock spoke during the meeting’s public-comment period.

Elections staff told the board the county moved early voting out of the Erwin community building in the past after problems with mold, bathrooms and accessibility; the building has since been repaired and is now ADA accessible, town officials said. The town manager and other Erwin representatives told the board the community building’s bathrooms have been fixed, landscaping improved and that the building provides easier access for many residents, including seniors.

Board members and staff discussed trade-offs: the Parks & Rec gym is larger but early voting uses it for up to 17 days and can displace recreational programs; the community building offers closer parking to the facility and easier curbside access for some voters but is physically smaller. One town representative said, “Community building is a better site for people — most people are also based on the community site,” and invited elections staff to tour the facility.

Elections staff cited turnout growth in recent cycles while describing the site-review process. A staff member said early voting use in the county increased from roughly 9,800 in 2020 to about 10,440 in 2024, and noted the county needs to weigh parking, traffic flow, ADA access and impacts on other local uses before changing a permanent early-voting location.

Board members asked for factual information before making a decision. One asked for a parking count; staff said the exact number of spaces at the community building was “not specified” at the meeting and that staff would obtain precise counts. Staff also said it will schedule site surveys next week — including Highland and Oakmont sites mentioned during the meeting — and said it was open to having board members join inspections.

The board did not make a final decision at the meeting; staff said it will return with site-survey results and further recommendations. The discussion included public comment time and a separate presentation by Erwin officials; the earliest site-related remarks in the record came during the public-comment period and the discussion concluded with staff committing to inspect both potential sites before any change is implemented.

Next steps: elections staff will perform on-site accessibility and traffic-flow surveys and provide the board with parking counts and a report of findings to inform a future decision on whether to relocate early voting in Erwin.