Commissioners approve amendment increasing city precincts from 4 to 8

The Gibson County Commissioners voted to amend the June precinct plan, increasing precincts inside the city from four to eight and adjusting precinct boundaries in Patoka Township. The change was presented to the commission by Jasmine Sherry, who said the adjustment would "increase each district from 1 precinct to 2 precincts, thus allowing the precinct committeeman to caucus and select and fill vacant elected positions when they occur." The county staff noted the state will not review the request until sometime in August but that there is time to submit the amendment. Commissioners moved and seconded the amendment and approved it by voice vote. The action keeps voters assigned to central polling locations such as the fairgrounds and the Toyota event center, per the motion on the floor. The amendment affects precinct organization inside city limits and related Patoka Township precincts. County staff said the state review will occur in August, and no change will be final until completed by the state. The commission handled the motion as a formal vote; no further amendments were offered during the meeting. The commission's next steps are to submit the change to the state for review and to update local precinct materials once the state completes its review.