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Election 09: Some in Defiance County will vote from different locations

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By TODD HELBERG

cnedit@crescent-news.com

Many Defiance County voters will be casting ballots in different polling stations next Tuesday.

The county's board of elections has reduced the number of precincts from 42 to 38 by combining several. Assistant board of elections director Pam Schroeder said the reductions require fewer poll workers and less expenses.

And, there have been changes in some polling stations to increase security and handicap accessibility.

Richland Township's two south precincts (A and B) were combined as were Delaware Township's two (A and B). Meanwhile, Hicksville village's precinct D was merged with precinct B and Highland Township's three precincts (A, B and C) were combined into two (A and B).

According to Schroeder, recent changes in state election law provide for a maximum of 1,400 voters per precinct. But she said none in Defiance County have even more than 1,000 per precinct, so "we're still within the state guidelines."

None of Defiance's 16 precincts were changed because city council will have to re-examine its four wards after the 2010 census.

"(In 2010), the city is required to realign the wards by population," said Schroeder. "Rather than change them now and in 2011, we are just waiting to see how the census changes things."

More noticeable to many voters on Nov. 3 will be their polling locations. Voters subject to these changes were notified via mail by the county board of elections in September, Schroeder said.

Voters in some precincts will now cast their ballots in polling stations that are outside their respective precincts. These include:

-- Farmer Township, which moves from the Farmer Township firehouse to Sonrise Community Church, 14089 Ohio 249, Ney.

-- Mark Township, which moves from Mark United Methodist Church to Sherwood United Methodist Church, 512 N. Harrison St.

-- Milford Township, which moves from the Milford Township building to the multi-purpose building at the county fairgrounds in Hicksville.

-- Ney village, which moves from the Ney American Legion to Sonrise Community Church, 14089 Ohio 249, Ney.

Schroeder said the law does not require that a polling station be within a specific precinct. The changes, she added, were made to increase "poll worker security and handicap accessibility."

Other polling changes include:

-- Defiance precincts 1-C and 1-G move from the former Anthony Wayne Elementary School to the Defiance Area YMCA, 1599 Palmer Drive.

-- Defiance precincts 2-A and 2-C move from the former Slocum Elementary School to the Defiance Eagles, 711 W. Second St.

-- Defiance precinct 4-D moves from Zion's Lutheran Church to Family Christian Center, 1832 E. Second St.

-- Defiance Township precinct A moves from the UAW Hall on Baltimore Road to the Defiance Eagles, 711 W. Second St.

-- voters in the now defunct Delaware Township precinct B move from Sherwood United Methodist Church to the Delaware Township building, 10023 Bend Road, where they combine with Delaware Township A voters to form a single precinct.

-- Richland Township north precinct moves from the Jewell firehouse to Poplar Ridge Church, 06970 Domersville Road.

-- Richland Township south's combined precincts (A and B) move from Zion's Lutheran Church to Family Christian Center, 1832 E. Second St.

Voters in the county's remaining precincts will see no changes in their polling stations as indicated below:

-- Defiance 1-E and Defiance Township B, Defiance Area YMCA, 1599 Palmer Drive.

-- Defiance 1-H and 4-B, First Baptist Church, 1399 S. Jefferson Ave.

-- Defiance 2-D and 2-E, St. John Lutheran Church, 655 Wayne Ave.

-- Defiance 3-A, 3-B, 3-C and 3-D, St. John United Church of Christ, 950 Webster St.

-- Defiance 4-A and 4-C, Trinity United Methodist Church, 413 E. Second St.

-- Defiance Ward 4-D, Family Christian Center, 1832 E. Second St.

-- Hicksville Township and Hicksville village precinct A, Defiance County Fairgrounds multi-purpose building.

-- Hicksville village precincts B and C, First Presbyterian Church, 232 Arthur St., Hicksville.

-- Highland Township's two precincts (A and B) absorb precinct C, but all voters will still cast ballots at Ayersville United Methodist Church, 27728 Ayersville Road.

-- Noble Township precincts A and B, county public safety services building, 22491 Mill St.

-- Tiffin Township precincts A and B, Evergreen Lane Office Complex, 06879 Evansport Road.

On an unrelated front, election officials advise that voters in Highland Township's two precincts will see a misspelled name on the ballot.

The name of Richard Hoshock, a township trustee candidate, will appear on the ballot as Richard "Hoschak."

Schroeder said the mistaken spelling was confirmed after absentee balloting began.