Voters who use the Big Creek Fire Station as their polling place can attend an upcoming town hall meeting to learn more about the possibility of moving that polling place.
The town hall will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, in the Jury Assembly Room of the Gilmer County Courthouse.
It’s open to the public, and anyone who currently votes at the Big Creek Fire Station is especially encouraged to attend, said Scott Chastain, Gilmer County election superintendent.
“I really want the Big Creek voters to come and give their feedback, whether it’s positive or negative. I need to know how the community feels, and I’d really like to have their input,” Chastain said.
After considering several factors, the elections office is looking at moving the Big Creek polling place to the county fire station on Roy Road. Both are volunteer fire stations, but Roy Road is a bigger, more modern station better equipped to host elections, and the parking situation would be better there, Chastain said.
Currently, voters must cross Big Creek Road to vote at the fire station, which has very limited room for a crowd, he noted.
“The only other thing we could think of on Big Creek Road was to move (the polling place) to a local church, but if it fell on a day when there was a funeral, it could be a catastrophe trying to manage all of that,” said Chastain. “When you look at it on paper, the station on Roy Road is a lot newer and bigger than the one on Big Creek, and I just think it would be a better location.”
The polling place could be relocated in time for the upcoming May 24 primary election, Chastain confirmed.
“I’ve had some people give me comments about the Big Creek station and say they wouldn’t have a problem with (the polling place being moved), but I want to have a town hall so we can invite those voters specifically. There may be some things I’m not thinking about somebody could bring up that would make us pause and think more about it,” he added.
There are currently 1,595 registered voters for the Big Creek polling place. Moving it would not add voters from other precincts, nor would it affect early voting, which would still be done at the county registrar’s office, Chastain confirmed.
“We’re not adding any voters or taking away any voters. It would strictly be the voters at the Big Creek Fire Station moving to another fire station to vote,” he said.