Majority of Miami County voters get new polling site for August special election
May 18—TROY — More than 50% of Miami County's registered voters will be assigned to new polling locations beginning with the August special election.
The Republican-dominated Ohio General Assembly voted this month to hold a special election Aug. 8 for voters to decide whether to make it more difficult to amend the state's constitution. The move came after abortion rights supporters made plans to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
Each voter with a different polling location will be notified by letter, the county Board of Elections was told.
The change in locations is due to the board's earlier decision to move voting to school buildings in the county's more rural areas. Those locations will be at Bethel High School, Miami East High School, Newton High School, Covington High School and Milton-Union High School.
The board two years ago began talking about moving voting to schools, which usually are centrally located in the townships, and where voting was common in years past. Some churches and business locations increasingly have decided to end voting at their properties.
School superintendents contacted about using the schools first in August, instead of November as earlier planned, were receptive because it will allow use of the buildings without students present.
"We can work out any kind of wrinkles that come up as far as using those schools," said Laura Bruns, elections director.
"Schools in the outlying areas make sense," said Dave Fisher, elections board chairman.
More than 40,000 voters will be affected by the new polling locations, said Ian Ridgeway, elections deputy director.
"It is a lot of voters," he said.
At this time, the board is not moving voting to schools in the county's cities of Tipp City, Troy and Piqua. Bruns said school buildings in each district were checked and many were not feasible due to location, accessibility, parking and other requirements for polling locations. Schools in the cities that could be used will be looked at as possible secondary voting locations, if needed, Ridgeway said.
However, there will be voting location changes in some of the cities, including Piqua, where six precincts will move to the Knights of St. John on South Wayne Street. Others will vote at The Valley Church or A Learning Place in Piqua.
Voters who usually cast ballots at the Church of the Nazarene in Troy will be directed to the Concord Room located off Ohio 55 near Interstate 75 for the August election only, because of a church scheduling conflict.
Also in Troy, some voters who were going to Riverside school will be voting at the Lostcreek Preserve, Troy Baptist Temple and Miami East High School. Voters in Tipp City and Monroe Twp. will go to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church or Ginghamsburg Church.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
