The Cobb County Board of Elections authorized staff to advertise a temporary precinct relocation that would move Smyrna Precinct 2A to the Smyrna Community Center for the Dec. 16 special runoff in Senate District 35.

Staff initially proposed colocating Smyrna 2A into Smyrna 6A at American Legion Post 160 because the Legion offered capacity and overflow parking. Director Michael told the board the site survey showed about 64 on-site parking spaces and 200 overflow spaces next door, and staff proposed additional signage, ADA attendants and temporary ramps to meet accessibility needs. He cautioned that the combined precincts could mean up to roughly 9,000–10,000 active voters potentially using the site if turnout were high.

Multiple board members — citing the Thompson Community Center congestion problems during the Nov. 4 election — voiced concern about placing so many voters at a single site with limited on-site parking. Board member Reggie said, "I like to envision...someone disabled that may not have a handicap placard...I'm just not comfortable with 9,000 voters" at one location. Several members asked staff to verify Smyrna Community Center availability as an alternative.

Staff reported that Smyrna Community Center had become available and proposed Dec. 8–12 advanced in-person voting there for SD‑35, with operational hours of 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to provide longer daily access in lieu of a weekend. The board approved the advanced-voting schedule and a motion to advertise the temporary precinct change for two weeks with a final approval scheduled for the Nov. 24 meeting; the authorization to advertise carried 5–0.

Legal counsel explained notice rules and the complex mix of statutory timelines: polling-place changes are generally restricted within 30 or 90 days of an election but exceptions exist for emergencies; counsel recommended advertising now and finalizing a vote after two weeks of publication to comply with the notice requirement. The board instructed staff to run voter-notification options (postcards, app/texting, signage) once the final vote is taken and to provide site-check photos and the ADA checklist to the board.

What’s next: advertisement to run for two weeks, board to hold a final vote on Nov. 24; staff will update Jarvis and other systems and explore targeted notifications for affected voters.