Hundreds of letters are able to be mailed to Pittsburg County voters whose voting precinct areas are altering.
“We’ve got greater than 5,000 letters,” stated Pittsburg County Election Board Secretary Tonya Barnes.
Her recommendation to voters in the event that they get a letter is to remember to open it and browse it as a result of it’s possible their voting location has modified. To assist make certain the recipients get the message concerning the significance of the letters, the letters are stamped on the entrance with the phrases “Necessary Discover” adopted by “Polling Place Change.”
Pittsburg County has a complete of 26,491 registered voters, stated Pittsburg County Election Board Clerk BreeAnn Williamson. With voting precincts altering for greater than 5,000 voters, which means greater than 20% of the voters within the county may very well be voting in a unique precinct the following time they go to the polls.
Altering of many voting precinct boundaries by the Pittsburg County Election Board has nothing to do with present efforts by town of McAlester’s Ward Fee to redraw boundaries within the metropolis’s six wards.
Whereas each tasks are primarily based on the inhabitants numbers within the 2020 Census, Barnes stated the redrawing of voter precincts on the county election board is predicated on the redistricting of boundaries for Congress, the state Home of Representatives, the State Senate and the Pittsburg County commissioners.
“They aren’t primarily based on municipal or faculty boundaries,” stated Barnes.
Precinct boundary traces should be evaluated each 10 years following the federal Census to make sure there’s an equal inhabitants within the districts, she stated.
Barnes stated new Voter Identification playing cards, together with polling place data, can be mailed to all voters affected by the brand new precinct traces.
Due to the adjustments, just a few voting precincts have been eradicated fully, whereas others have been mixed. Though some precincts have increased precinct numbers than earlier than, there’ll truly be fewer voter precincts as a result of a number of have been mixed. Polling place adjustments are set to change into efficient instantly.
“We’ve got 38 precincts, down from 41,” Barnes stated of the entire precincts concerned.
“That’s nice,” Barnes stated, as a result of fewer precinct staff will now be employed for elections in Pittsburg County and fewer areas should be staffed on election days.
“We have been having issues getting sufficient precinct officers,” stated Barnes, referring to election staff who workers the county precincts every time an election is underway.
Precinct numbers and polling place areas within the county affected because the adoption of the brand new precinct boundary traces embrace:
Precinct 1 on the J.I. Stipe Heart at 801 N. Ninth St. It now features a new addition.
“We did away with Precinct 15, which was on the Vo-Tech,” Barnes stated, referring to Kiamichi Know-how Heart in McAlester. It’s now Precinct 55, a sub-precinct, and voters who beforehand forged their ballots at KTC will now vote at Precinct 1, the Stipe Heart, Barnes stated.
Areas of some polling locations have modified.
“Precinct 21 was the Arpelar Nazarene Church,” Barnes stated. Now, Precinct 21 is on the Lighthouse of Prayer Church at 20 Double Springs Highway, which is west of Arpelar, stated Barnes.
Precinct 23 has been eradicated. “We did away with Precinct 23, which was in Ashland,” Barnes stated.
“We divided that precinct up,” Barnes stated. Some voters will now go to Precinct 39, which itself has been moved from the Kiowa faculty to Kiowa Metropolis Corridor. These within the northern half will go to Precinct 21, the Lighthouse of Prayer Church at Double Springs Highway, she stated.
Precinct 36 was on the Haywood faculty. The precinct on the Haywood faculty has been closed and Precinct 36 is now the Blue Fireplace Division at 162 Verner Highway, stated Barnes.
Additionally, Precinct 37, beforehand on the faculty in Indianola, has been moved to Precinct 37’s new location on the Shady Grove Church at 106 Shady Grove Highway.
“We not have a Precinct 45 on the Pittsburg County Cattleman’s Affiliation constructing,” Barnes stated. That precinct has been complete eradicated and voters who beforehand voted on the constructing close to the Pittsburg County Fairgrounds, will now vote on the new Precinct 36 on the Blue Fireplace Division.
Assistant Election Board Secretary Carla Morris stated Precinct 45 solely had about 9 registered voters and most of them voted by mail-in absentee poll.
Precinct 46 voters will not forged their ballots on the Church on Flowery Mounds in Bug Tussle, Church. Now, they’ll vote at Precinct 46’s new location on the New Hope Church at 10735, State Freeway 113, Barnes stated.
Nevertheless, voters assigned to Precinct 42 will proceed to vote on the Church on Flowery Mounds in Bug Tussle.
Most different registered voters will stay with their currently-assigned precinct areas.
Voters with questions can contact the Pittsburg County Election Board at 918-423-3877. They’re additionally welcome to return by and take a look at a map with the brand new polling adjustments, Barnes stated. Voters also can make the most of the OK Voter Portal at oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp to seek out their polling place data.
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.