In continuing to prepare for a May 3 primary election, the Pickaway County Board of Elections has announced several changes to polling locations around the county.
The Board made these decisions in reviewing ways to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars while maintaining a proper voter experience. These changes will affect voters in Circleville Township South, Harrison Township, Saltcreek North/Tarlton and Wayne Township precincts.
Voters in Circleville Township’s Circleville South precinct will be joining Pickaway Township voters at Crossroads CCCU Church at 5679 Tarlton Road. Circleville South had been voting at the Pickaway Senior Center on election day.
“The Senior Center has been very accommodating to voters over the years, but the center has activities and programs that go on daily to serve the county’s senior citizens. With the two locations being only a mile apart, it made sense to the Board to consolidate the two locations at Crossroads,” said John Howley, deputy director for the Board of Elections.
Another change involves consolidating Wayne Township voters with those from Jackson Township at the Jackson Township Community Center just off 104 on Fox Road.
“Wayne Township currently has fewer than 330 registered voters. As more voters take advantage of Ohio’s month-long early voting period and the ease of mail-in absentee voting, turnout on election day has decreased at every location,” Howley said. “The Jackson Township Community Center is just six miles up 104 from the River of Life Church where Wayne Township residents have been voting. The board felt bringing these two locations together would make for better use of taxpayer resources while not causing a major inconvenience for voters.”
Two other changes coming for the May 3 primary were born out of necessity and will affect voters in Harrison and Saltcreek townships.
The old Harrison Township House on Weigand Road has been replaced with new township offices behind the fire house in Ashville. While the new township offices were available for voting, using that location would have made three voting locations in Ashville, all relatively close to each other.
“In reviewing the other existing voting locations available in Harrison Township, the Board reached the decision that moving the township’s voters to the South Bloomfield Municipal Building would be a good fit,” Howley said.
Voters in the villages of Ashville and South Bloomfield will not be affected by this change.
A structural issue has forced the temporary closure of the Tarlton Town Hall. In reviewing the available options, the Board voted to combine voters from the Saltcreek North/Tarlton precinct with Saltcreek South at the Saltcreek Township House on State Route 56.
All voters affected by these changes will be receiving a post card in the mail informing them of their new voting location.
