Commissioners approve Voting Centers consolidation plan

(You can listen to the discussion about Voting Centers starting at the 19:11 mark of the video.)

Henderson County Commissioners Court approved a plan to consolidate the county's Voting Centers during Tuesday's regular meeting.

The new alignment will give the county four early voting locations and 17 Voting Centers on Election Day. Changes include:

• Caney City voting location combined with Malakoff

• St. Peter's Gun Barrel City combined with GBC City Hall

• Westside Volunteer Fire Department combined with Chandler

• Athens ROC and Shady Oaks combined and moved to the Cain Center

• Berryville combined with Coffee City

• Faith Fellowship Church combined with LaRue

In addition, the Henderson County LaRue Complex will be added as an early voting location.

"More voters are voting early," said Elections Administrator Paula Ludtke. "I think ... closing these locations would facilitate the voting and help with getting election workers."

"I'm just trying to help the public get out there and vote," she said.

Mrs. Ludtke and Judge Wade McKinney talked about this plan during last week's County Report podcast, which you can listen to here.

"Voting Centers coupled with multiple early voting locations is really, in my thoughts, really advantageous for our voters," Judge McKinney said Tuesday.

Pct. 3 Commissioner Chuck McHamm said the county helped voters when the change was made to voting centers.

"These constituents can vote anywhere they want to in the county," he said.

IMPORTANT: The Elections Office will be mailing out new registration cards to Henderson County voters in January.