Board members at the Cobb County pre-certification meeting discussed potential consolidation of precincts and emphasized a cautious, data-driven approach rather than an across-the-board cut.

One board member said, "A 48 precincts is just ridiculous," and others agreed the current distribution should be examined. Staff replied that any consolidation should be phased and supported by a formula that accounts for historic turnout, registered-voter counts, machine capacity and site surveys. The staff explanation listed the factors used in site selection: registered voters, turnout across past cycles, room dimensions and how many machines the location can hold, parking availability, school schedules, and poll-manager wait-time logs.

Board members and staff discussed that a future transition to hand-marked paper ballots would reduce equipment needs — leaving mainly scanners and ADA machines — and therefore materially change how precincts are allocated. They also noted uncertainty about pending state-level changes, including proposals to restrict no-excuse absentee or advanced voting. One board member warned that if no-excuse absentee voting were curtailed, Election Day turnout could rise and the county might need more precincts, not fewer.

Staff said the county is not planning large "super precincts" that would consolidate broad geographic areas into a single massive site; instead, any combined site would likely merge no more than three precincts at a time. Staff emphasized municipal rules in places such as Smyrna can affect whether locations can be combined, and that final precinct boundary decisions rest with the Cobb County Board of Commissioners after staff and board review.

No formal vote took place; the discussion was recorded as direction to use a tiered, formula-based approach if consolidation proceeds and to maintain caution pending changes at the state level.