Voters upset by moves of polls

As if there wasn't enough conspiracy and agitation already in the world of politics and the Aug. 8 special election. Jackson Township residents, who once voted at their own township house, are reportedly angry about having to drive to Vanlue Park to vote on Aug. 8. From their viewpoint, it's an insult added to the injury of them having to vote in Arlington for a while. Other voting center relocations also have sparked annoyance, and worse. In Hardin County, Tlc Ministries Senior Pastor Tony Crowe said the move of the Dunkirk polling place to Forest, nine miles away, is a voter suppression maneuver. The culprits: "fake Republicans" and Democrats. "It's being done to keep the vote down so that the RINOs (Republicans in name only) will get the votes that they want," said Crowe. "We have a lot of older people here in town that won't drive to somewhere where they don't know where they are going," he said. "That is what they are counting on people doing so that they won't get the 'yes' votes (on State Issue 1). I can't see any other reason." The temporary move of the Dunkirk voting place was a unanimous decision by the Hardin County Board of Elections — comprised of two Republicans and two Democrats — said an election official. It was meant to save costs and avoid the difficulty of finding poll workers for what might be a low-voter-turnout election, she said. In Hancock County, elections board Director Lori Miller said she relates with the difficulties of recruiting poll workers and the expenses. But voting location changes implemented in Hancock County do more than save money. Encouraged by the Ohio Secretary of State's office for all counties for years, the location changes are about making elections more secure, Miller said. The combining of voting precincts into single locations, or "super voting centers," brings multiple security benefits, she said. If technological problems would occur with voting machines or other equipment, the machine custodians would have fewer places to go in order to fix them. In addition, when multiple precincts are clustered into a single voting center, equipment can easily be shared when one precinct faces a malfunction. The Hancock County Elections Board has already reduced the number of polling places in Findlay over the years by grouping multiple voting precincts into super voting centers, Miller said. Polling location changes for Aug. 8 Now the elections board has made some changes for the townships for Aug. 8: • Jackson Township and Delaware Township voters will vote at the park building in Vanlue. • Eagle Township voters will now vote at Gospel Fellowship Church, Rawson, where Union East and Union West precincts vote. • Orange Township residents will vote at the Jenera Park building along with Van Buren Township voters. • Biglick Township voters will vote at Arcadia Community Center, where Cass and Washington Township residents vote. Actually, Cass Township voters not so long ago voted at their township house. • Blanchard Township voters will no longer vote in Benton Ridge. On Aug. 8, they will vote at the Hancock County Agricultural Service Center, on County Road 140, along with the Liberty Township precincts. Normally Liberty Township precincts vote at Gateway Church, but the church cannot accommodate voting on Aug. 8 because it is undergoing remodeling. It is anticipated that Gateway eventually will be a super voting center again in future elections. Likewise, Findlay voters in Precincts 1D, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E who are used to voting at StoneBridge Church, will instead vote at Old Millstream Centre at the Hancock County Fairgrounds on Aug. 8. Stonebridge also is undergoing remodeling.