“When did they change our polling place?” said the neighbor on the phone. The same time they do every time: before the next election. Why do they do this? Supposedly to reduce costs, now that so many people vote early, and all early voting is at the Board of Elections, they keep reducing the number of precincts, this time down from 12 last year to 9 this year. Another effect is to confuse everybody, and that has the result that some people just won’t vote. Quick version: go to My Voter Page by the Georgia Secretary of State.

According to the Lowndes County Board of Elections, Lowndes County Polling Places:

Lowndes County Polling Place List

Pct 1 Hahira Historical Society, 116 E. Lawson St., Hahira
Pct 2 Old Pine Grove Elementary School Gym, 4023 Pine Grove Rd, Valdosta
Pct 3 Northside Baptist Church Gym, 200 E Park Ave, Valdosta
Pct 4 Naylor City Hall, 8753 Ge orgia Highway 135, Naylor
Pct 5 Rainwater Conference Center , One Meeting Pl., Valdosta
Pct 6 Mildred Hunter Community Cent er, 509 S. Fry St., Valdosta
Pct 7 New Clyattville Fire Station, 5080 Madison Hwy, Clyattville
Pct 8 Dasher City Hall, 3686 US Hwy 41 S, Dasher
Pct 9 South Lowndes Rec. Ctr, 6440 Ocean Pond Ave, Lake Park

*Municipal precincts, used for Municipal Elections only.

*HC-Hahira Courthouse
*REM-Remerton City Hall
*DASH-Dasher City Hall
*LP-Lake Park Civic Center
*Valdosta precincts are the same as County Precincts.

Which one is yours? See My Voter Page by the Georgia Secretary of State. Hint: If you live in the city limits of Hahira, Remerton, Dasher, or Lake Park, you can probably guess from the above list. If you live in Valdosta or the rest of Lowndes County, you’ll have to look it up. If you live in the county outside any of the cities, the only thing you have to vote on today is SPLOST. Here’s the text of the SPLOST VII referendum for 2013.

I used to vote at Pine Grove. This year it’s Hahira. The Pine Grove Precinct is still open; it’s just not my precinct anymore.

They could at least allow everybody to vote at any polling place in the county. Obviously they have the technology to do that, since they do it at the Board of Elections during early voting. Last time I asked Deb Cox about that, I believe she said the state would have to approve it.

Hm, “Lowndes County Elections” has a facebook page. It hasn’t been updated since 2011.

-jsq

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