Conditions at some Lincoln County voting precincts have promptedelection officials to consider efforts to move some polling placesto other locations.

Limited space, a lack of handicap accessibility and otherfactors at the chamber of commerce building, the voting locationfor District Three’s city hall precinct, have put it at the top ofthe potential relocation list.

“We’ve been talking about moving city hall (precinct),” saidLincoln County Circuit Clerk Terry Lynn Watkins, citing aconversation with election commissioners. “We need to seriouslyconsider that before the next election.”

In addition to an oversight that prevented the precinct fromopening on time last Tuesday, precinct conditions produced otherinconveniences for poll workers and voters.

“We’re short of light, and we’re short of space,” said JanetMoreton, poll manager.

While the historic building is not handicap accessible, electionlaws require poll workers to provide curbside voting to those whoare unable to enter the building.

Until a few years ago, precinct voting took place in the oldfire station portion of the building. However, officials saidstorage needs gradually pushed poll workers out of that area.

Voting then moved to an office near the building’s frontentrance. However, that space later was put back to use as ThirdDistrict U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering’s field office, and voting movedto its current spot in the chamber lobby.

Moreton said chamber of commerce officials have beenaccommodating on election days.

“I think we intrude with them, but they’ve never complainedabout it,” Moreton said.

Kenny Goza, chamber president, agreed on the need to move thevoting place from the old city hall building.

“That really needs to be looked at,” he said.

Goza pointed out that the chamber is a business. He indicatedthat visitors are affected by voting activity in the lobby.

“There’s no other business in town that has a voting precinct isits lobby,” Goza said.

District Three Election Commissioner Floye McClellandacknowledged the possibility of a precinct move.

“It could be moved,” she said. “But if we moved it out of thebuilding, it would have to be approved by the JusticeDepartment.”

Watkins, though, said voting places can be moved without Justiceapproval as long as the new location is within sight of the oldone.

For the city hall precinct, Watkins suggested the old RailroadDepot between Monticello Street and Cherokee Street. She said it isvisible from the front of the chamber building.

Any move would have to be approved by supervisors and be subjectto an agreement with the owners of the new location, in this casethe City of Brookhaven. Some city recreation department servicesare housed at the old depot, and part of it is used for theMilitary Memorial Museum.

“That’s something we’d have to look into,” Watkins said of amove to the depot building.

Other precincts that have been mentioned for possible relocationinclude Bogue Chitto, also in District Three, and Lipsey, which isin District Five.

Bogue Chitto voters cast ballots at the school on Highway 51,and residents of the Lipsey precinct vote in the gym of the schoolon Drury Lane. Watkins said concern about school activitiespossibly being inconvenienced by voting have been mentioned.

One suggested new location for the Bogue Chitto precinct is thenew volunteer fire station building across Highway 51 from theschool, Watkins said. She said there have been no alternative sitesmentioned for Lipsey.

“Nothing really has been done to get that started,” shesaid.

Watkins was hopeful, however, that the other two precincts couldbe relocated without much difficulty.

“Bogue Chitto and City Hall are both very feasible to movethose,” Watkins said.