A new polling site was recently approved by the Starke County Commissioners in Hamlet, but work on the details may not be complete.
The Starke County Election Board received the update at their Monday morning meeting. Hamlet has designated the new volunteer fire station as a polling site on Election Day.
Starke County Clerk Vicki Cooley says a notice will be sent out by her offices.
“We need probably this week to send out our notices to the Town of Hamlet, or at least tell them of the change,” says Cooley.
There was a deadline by which the polling place must have changed prior to November’s General Election.
The Election Board, however, is concerned that some of the details of the new Hamlet site, as well as a polling site in North Judson, may not be completed in time. Among those changes are parking lot striping and handicap designations. One Election Board members suggested using funds from the Help America Vote Act Grant.
Board member Peg Britton says the sites probably have their own funds for the striping.
“Hamlet, they may have a different idea for striping. Again, they’re a small town, they just pull in wherever they want,” says Britton.
The Election Board said they intend to encourage those responsible for the sites to complete a few projects prior to Election Day.
The Board says their focus for grant funds should first be on the polling site in North Bend Township.
