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Decision on Bacon/Saxe polling place deferred after HB195 noted
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Summary
Board members heard that Shiloh Baptist Church’s congregation approved use of its fellowship hall for Bacon/Saxe precinct, but deferred final action after notice that HB195 expands out‑of‑district polling distance to 1.5 miles and the Drakes Branch firehouse may be a more central and cost‑effective option.
Aubrey Fane reported to the Charlotte County Electoral Board that Shiloh Baptist Church’s congregation voted to permit use of the fellowship hall as the permanent polling place for the Bacon/Saxe precinct. Chairman Glenn Baker recorded the congregation’s decision and acknowledged members who helped secure the site.
The nut graf: Board members did not make a final placement decision. Instead they paused to consider the local implications of recent state changes to polling‑place distance rules and alternatives that could reduce voter travel and cost.
Vice Chairman Glenwood Foster urged postponing a final decision because the passage of HB195 extends the allowable distance a polling place may be located outside a district from one mile to 1.5 miles. Foster said that change could allow the county to use the new Drakes Branch firehouse as a more central location for Bacon/Saxe voters and could save money by housing two precincts in one location; he noted that using a firehouse outside the district would require a waiver from the Board of Supervisors. After brief discussion the board continued the matter for further consideration rather than resolving it at the April 7 meeting.
Mr. Fane acknowledged the assistance of Eugene Wells and Claudette Powell in securing Shiloh Baptist Church for the precinct; the board recorded no final motion to adopt Shiloh as permanent and instead left the decision pending further review and any required waiver from the Board of Supervisors.
The board also noted that polling‑place use agreements and accessibility reports need to be formalized before finalizing locations. Building inspector Mr. Hess will prepare an accessibility report for the EB to review.
The next procedural step recorded in the minutes was adjournment at 2:16 p.m.