Clarke County Board of Elections adds Tennis Center as advanced voting site, approves hours for June 16 runoff

The Clarke County Board of Elections voted unanimously May 19 to add the Tennis Center as an advanced voting location for the likely June 16 runoff and to set consistent voting hours across three sites: the elections office, the county library, and the Tennis Center.

The motion to add the Tennis Center was moved by Ms. Willa and seconded by Ms. Owen; the board then approved the recommended hours for the runoff week — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The board chair announced the motion carried unanimously.

Board members and staff debated whether extended evening hours are warranted. Elections staff noted that, during the prior advanced-voting period, only a small share of votes occurred after 5 p.m.; staff reported 12,475 advanced votes overall and said 681 votes were cast after 5 p.m. in the third week. Supporters of the Tennis Center cited geographic parity for east-side voters and the site’s parking and capacity; some members said providing a centrally placed east-side option is important even if evening turnout historically is modest.

Staff also emphasized operational limits: ballots must be built by the vendor and undergo logic-and-accuracy testing (L&A) before advanced voting can begin, which constrains how early the office can open sites in the calendar. Managers described efforts to rotate supervisory staff to reduce long consecutive shifts for poll managers during advanced voting.

The board’s action formalizes the advanced-voting plan the elections office will publish this week for public notice and candidate communication. Early voting hours and locations were added to the board’s schedule for the runoff week and will be listed in the county’s public notices and on the elections office website.