Registrar proposes moving two precincts, board sets April public hearing on option to create new Falling River location

Patricia Morton, the Appomattox County registrar, presented three options to the Board of Supervisors to reduce the county’s nine precincts to seven as a cost‑saving and facility‑quality measure. The proposed changes would consolidate one precinct housed in a building without indoor plumbing and create a new polling place for Falling River voters at Friendship Baptist Church under the option the board selected for public hearing.

Morton told supervisors recent election‑law changes — including 45 days of early voting, an absentee permanent list and a June primary — have increased administrative workload and cost. She said the AG precinct building lacks running water and adequate heating and that Oakville appears a better long‑term site for AG precinct voters. Morton also proposed creating a new Falling River polling location at Friendship Baptist Church after reviewing four churches in the Falling River area for parking, ADA access, road safety and proximity to the district’s population center.

Morton described three formal options: - Option 1: Merge AG into Oakville and merge Chap into Spout Spring (presented in January). - Option 2: Make no changes now and delay any consolidation. - Option 3: Merge AG into Oakville and create a new Falling River precinct located at Friendship Baptist Church (the option the board moved forward for public hearing).

Morton explained Option 3 is intended to reduce some voters’ travel distances (she said the maximum additional travel under earlier proposals could be as much as 12 miles for a few voters and that Option 3 reduces the maximum additional travel to roughly 6–8 miles for most affected voters). She flagged one‑time costs tied to notification mailings: roughly 2,000 affected voters at Spout Spring would require a mailed voter‑card notification at about $1,700 total.

County Attorney Mark Popovich advised the board that under the Virginia Voting Rights Act the attorney general’s office reviews proposed precinct changes for potential discriminatory effects; Morton said she had discussed the options with NAACP representatives and that they expressed understanding of the county’s constraints.

Board action: The board voted to pursue Option 3, to set a public hearing on the proposed ordinance change for April 21, and to have the county attorney submit a letter to the Virginia Attorney General’s office for preclearance review. The motion to set the public hearing and to route materials to the attorney general passed at the meeting; supervisors noted final ordinance approval still requires the formal ordinance process and public comment.

Why it matters: Consolidating precincts affects where voters go on election day, can change travel distances for some residents, and carries statutory review and notification duties. Morton emphasized that election changes must be finalized in time to affect the November general election and that any ordinance changes must be completed by early September to take effect for that election.

Next steps and costs: If the board proceeds after public comment and any AG review, the registrar will mail updated voter cards to affected voters and hold the required public hearing. Morton estimated the one‑time mailing cost for affected Falling River/Spout Spring voters at about $1,700; ongoing savings come from lower annual precinct costs and reduced facility upkeep.

Ending: The board authorized staff to proceed with the public‑hearing process and preclearance review; the action does not itself change precinct boundaries until an ordinance is adopted following the hearing and any AG review.