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Rockingham elections board approves precinct boundary changes ahead of 2026 primary
Summary
The Rockingham County Board of Elections unanimously approved new precinct boundary maps intended to reduce oversized precincts and redistribute voter loads, with changes to take effect for the 2026 primary after state review and required voter notification.
The Rockingham County Board of Elections on Aug. 19 approved new precinct boundary maps intended to reduce the largest precincts and balance voter populations ahead of the 2026 primary.
The board voted to adopt the maps after a staff presentation that used census data, precinct voter rolls and mapping software to move voters from unusually large precincts (notably Mall Street and Western) into neighboring precincts. "We pulled the maps, the voters, the census maps and tried to figure out a way to make those two precincts smaller," said Paula Saemstra, Director of Elections.
The changes reduce Mall Street's registered voter count from 7,793 (as of July 14) to 6,592 by moving roughly 1,200 voters into Ironworks, McCoy, Southeast and Lincoln precincts. Ironworks's population increases from 2,797 to 3,572; Hogan's increases from 2,250 to 3,134. Board members said the goal was parity and more even distribution of work for precinct staff.
Board member Mr. Jones praised staff effort and said the adjustments should not meaningfully increase travel for voters. "It's not like people are being moved in a way that they're gonna have to drive further to go vote," Jones said.
Staff said the maps must be submitted to the State Board of Elections for final approval. If approved by the state, the changes would apply for the 2026 primary; voters moved between precincts must be notified 60 to 90 days before the election. Saemstra also said some precinct names may need to change if boundaries are altered and that any new name must not have been previously used in Rockingham County voting history.
During discussion the board asked whether the changes disproportionately affected any racial group; staff said they used census figures to avoid such an outcome. The board approved the maps by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the public discussion.
The board directed staff to transmit the adopted maps to the State Board of Elections and to begin the required voter-notification process ahead of the 2026 primary.
