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Residents urge commissioners not to move early‑voting sites; officials say changes are set by elections board
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Granville County Board of Commissioners to oppose a proposal to move early‑voting sites (including moving Oxford’s site to the expo center and closing the South Branch Library in Creedmoor), saying the changes would reduce access for working residents and people without transportation.
Throughout the public‑comment period on June 15, several residents asked the Board of County Commissioners to oppose proposed changes to early‑voting locations that would move one Oxford site from the Public Works building to the Granville Expo Center and close or alter other familiar local sites.
Jacob Moore recommended moving one early‑voting location from the Public Works complex to the Expo Building and moving another from Creedmoor to Tar River Elementary to improve parking and traffic flow for northern communities, saying some voters currently drive up to 30–35 minutes to access early voting.
Kristen Hefner (Butler) argued that removing the South Branch Library site would reduce access for working‑class voters and those who rely on errands‑based trips and transit routes, warning of likely turnout declines if familiar locations are consolidated. She told the board, “People in Raleigh who have never lived in Granville County should not be the ones who are telling us how and where we should be voting,” and linked local site changes to pending state legislation that could shorten early voting and alter election administration at the state level.
Mary Pettit said moving the Oxford site outside the metro area would adversely affect voters without transportation and those who rely on local cart routes, and urged commissioners to use their influence with the elections board to preserve accessible sites.
Commissioners acknowledged the board of elections makes site‑location decisions and said they have some communication channels with that body; members asked staff to review logistical and access impacts. Several speakers said they supported opening additional sites in northern Granville but not at the expense of removing established sites that many residents rely on for convenient early voting.
No formal board action on voting locations was taken at the meeting; the public comments were recorded for the board’s consideration and shared with staff.
