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Franklin County electoral board and SML YMCA agree on Burnt Chimney polling-room layout
Summary
After reconvening at the SML YMCA, the Franklin County Electoral Board and YMCA representatives agreed to use a front corner of the building for the Burnt Chimney precinct, citing electricity access and curbside visibility; the county will provide a smoking receptacle and remove sticker backings before distribution.
The Franklin County Electoral Board met Feb. 4, 2026, at the SML YMCA to finalize arrangements for using YMCA space as the Burnt Chimney precinct polling place. The meeting was reconvened at 2:26 p.m. with Chair Kay Saleeby, Secretary Tom Siddle and General Registrar Kay Chitwood present alongside meeting participants Tom Thorn, Bill Cooper, Kevin McAlexander and Andrea Fanzler.
Andrea Fanzler suggested using a small childcare room in the building’s front corner for elections, but Chair Kay Saleeby said the space could not accommodate two voting tabulators, tables and the flow of voters expected at Burnt Chimney, which the board described as the county’s largest precinct. Bill Cooper proposed reserving the smaller room for low-turnout contests, but General Registrar Kay Chitwood said equipment and spatial standards mean the same setup would be required regardless of election type.
Fanzler also asked whether staff could set up equipment the morning of an election. "There was not enough time to set up in the morning; it is necessary for the precinct personnel to set up on the previous evening," Chitwood and Tom Thorn said, explaining the board’s operational constraint.
After discussion, the group agreed to use the corner of the building adjacent to the area previously used for the precinct, a front-facing corner with windows to the parking lot to facilitate curbside voting. The board noted electricity is available on an opposite wall that had been used previously. The county agreed to provide a receptacle for discarded cigarettes outside the entrance and to ensure that volunteers handing out "I voted" stickers remove the backing paper before giving stickers to voters.
The site decision was reached informally during the reconvened meeting; no formal recorded vote on location change appears in the minutes. The board adjourned the meeting at 3:30 p.m.
