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Board member White urges new Eden early-voting site over safety and accessibility concerns
Summary
After the March meeting, Rockingham County election officials agreed the Eden early-voting location poses access and safety challenges for some voters; board members asked staff to find and announce an alternative well before the November election.
At its regular meeting, the Rockingham County Board of Elections discussed voter access and worker safety at several polling locations and pressed staff to find a new Eden early-voting site ahead of the November election.
Mr. White, a board member, said he had received multiple negative comments about the Eden early-voting location and recounted that a voter fell there on the first day. “I heard it reported… the long walk was part of what ultimately added to the fall and the injury that the woman sustained,” he said, urging the board to locate a safer site and give the public ample notice.
The discussion followed distribution of a packet containing comments from judges and chief judges serving at precincts. “Everybody was very positive about how things went and no negative comments about the new locations,” said Ms. Titan, who audited multiple sites. Bert Jones, the board secretary who chaired the meeting in the absence of the board chair, said the majority of feedback had been positive but acknowledged concerns about Eden’s stairs and long walk for elderly voters.
Board members also discussed issues at the Penrose Mall early-voting location, where an initial bathroom plumbing problem was reported and later corrected, and at Morehead High School, where weather forced use of the cafeteria rather than the auditorium. Mr. White said some precinct workers found interior space at Penrose Mall small and that at least one worker indicated they might quit if a small location remained a long-term choice.
Board members agreed the Eden early-voting site should be replaced and asked staff to identify alternatives, including considering private venues if suitable public sites are not available. The board did not vote on a specific replacement at the meeting; members said staff should report back with options and that any change should be announced with sufficient lead time before November.
The review of polling locations was part of a broader post-primary assessment; staff provided the judges’ comments packet for members and noted the matter can be revisited at a later meeting.
