With primary just a few weeks away, some Elkhart polling locations changing
The virus has forced Indiana to push back Election Day until June 2.
Now just a few weeks away, Elkhart County election officials are having to make some more last minute changes.
Some polling locations will no longer open their doors.
New Hope United Methodist Church in Goshen is one of five normal polling locations that will not be open for this primary. The Elkhart County elections board learned last week of the change and have been scrambling to replace them.
Elections are normally stressful enough, but this year might take the cake for Carol Smith.
"High stressed, especially getting this close and have to scramble, makes us all nervous here in the office," said Smith.
Smith says the locations were churches that made the decision based on and Governor Holcomb’s reopening plan.
"It made it seem like churches need to wait until June 14 to be back up to full meeting. So they feel like going to church should be open.”
Working with Elkhart County Clerk Chris Anderson, they do have a backup plan in motion. They have already moved some of the polling locations.
New Vision of Life church in Elkhart will switch to the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
New Paris Missionary Church’s voting location will be at Sunnyside Park Pavilion, and the voting center at Faith Lutheran Church in Goshen will now be at Model Elementary.
All of the moves are designed to be just minutes away.
Anderson says only the Goshen Salvation Army and New Hope Methodist are still being worked out. Easing their search, there is a state statute that says schools must offer their facilities if the county requests.
"In the past we’ve never want to be forceful on that," said Smith. "We don’t want to be the big over that says you have to do this. But this year he may not have a choice."
But unlike past elections, "the students aren’t there, so the facility can easily be cleaned and we don’t have to worry about safety," said Smith.
Smith says another change is the polling site at Greencroft Communities will now be limited to only those residents. She says now it’s about getting the word out to voters.
"We will be posting maps other the facilities where we used to be so if someone drives there and it’s not open, the doors are locked or whatever, there will be a map that says where the next closest voting center is located."
All polling locations will have hand sanitizer and wearing masks is recommended. However, instead of finding the new location, you can vote by mail.
Changed polling locations:
-New Vision of Life Church in Goshen will now be at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
-Faith Lutheran Church in Goshen will now be at Model Elementary
-New Paris Missionary Church will now be at Sunnyside Park Pavilion
-Greencroft community center will be limited to only Greencroft residents
-Salvation Army in Goshen replacement is still TBD
-New Hope United Methodist Church replacement is still TBD
