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Cherokee County elections office seeks additional early-voting sites in Canton; residents ask for camera on ballot drop box
Summary
Elections staff told the board they are seeking additional advanced voting locations in or near Canton for the 2026 cycle because of traffic and parking problems at the current office; public commenters asked the board to install a camera at the ballot drop box and to adopt paper-ballot measures.
Cherokee County elections staff told the board they are actively searching for additional secured early-voting locations in or near Canton to supplement the county elections office, citing significant traffic congestion and parking constraints experienced during the most recent presidential-year election.
Staff described problems at the elections center: limited ingress/egress on Brown Industrial Parkway, heavy tractor-trailer traffic from neighboring businesses, and insufficient accessible parking that required staff to help direct traffic during peak early-voting days. Staff said the county needs at least one or two additional locations in Canton that can host three-week early-voting periods, because many potential hosts (for example, churches) cannot accommodate being the site for daily operations for multiple weeks.
The staff said several sites have been considered; many declined, and one that had agreed — the Charlie Ferguson Center on Highway 140 — presents concerns about parking and safe access. Larry (board member) and other staff said they will continue searching and asked the public to suggest possible sites in the Canton area.
Public commenters raised security questions about ballot drop boxes. Lisa Jockwa requested that the county reconsider installing a camera on the indoor drop box, saying Cherokee County should “be leading” on transparency and security. Kelly Saroy (identified in the record as Kelly Sarrais/Saroy) similarly urged a camera and cited a March 25, 2025, federal executive order on election integrity as context for federal expectations. County staff noted that camera surveillance is not required by state law for indoor drop boxes but acknowledged the request and said they would reconsider the proposal.
Why it matters: The county expects heightened turnout in the 2026 election cycle and needs secured, accessible locations for weeks-long early voting and drop-box access to ensure ballots can be deposited safely and accepted per state and federal rules.
Ending: Staff said they are continuing site visits and would report back; the board encouraged residents to propose potential facilities in Canton that could meet the county’s security and access needs.
