Madison County elections board approves new South Marshall polling site and relocates Hot Springs early voting site

The Madison County Board of Elections voted on Oct. 8 to establish a new Election Day polling site for the South Marshall Precinct and to relocate the Hot Springs Early Voting Site, the board’s absentee-session minutes show.

Both measures were approved by recorded motions in the board’s absentee session and noted as passing unanimously (4-0). The minutes show the new South Marshall polling location will be located in the adjacent North Marshall precinct and will operate as a separate Election Day polling site from the North Marshall Precinct. The minutes do not specify street addresses or effective dates for either the new polling site or the relocated early voting site.

Director Jacob Ray had reported earlier in the meeting on a visit with Chair Jerry Wallin and Member Debbie Ponder to the Hot Springs Senior Meal Site; that visit was recorded in the director’s report immediately before the motions to change voting-site arrangements. The minutes do not include additional explanation of the reasons for the relocation or details about the new South Marshall site beyond their contesting precinct relationship.

The motion to establish the South Marshall Election Day polling site was recorded as: Motion (Dyatt Smathers, Jerry Wallin); the motion passed unanimously (4-0). The motion to modify the Early Voting plan and relocate the Hot Springs Early Voting Site was recorded as: Motion (Debbie Ponder, Dyatt Smathers); the motion passed unanimously (4-0).

The board did not record an effective date for the new or relocated sites in the minutes. The board set the next absentee meeting for Oct. 15, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.