Some Etowah County voters will have new polling locations for this upcoming election.
A subcommittee, formed by the County Commission, was tasked to evaluate the polling locations, which were established in the late 1800s, when people were riding on horseback or in wagons to get to the location, according to Etowah County Probate Judge, Scott Hassell.
“When the committee got together, we started looking geographically, and found that 90 percent of the polling locations that you are looking at today were less than two miles from each other,” Hassell said. “The only exception being Gallant and Ivalee.”
Both of which have less than 500 voters registered at each location, he said. With a voter turnout of only 40 to 60 percent, that ends up being only 100 voters at either location.
In 2024, of the 76,956 registered voters in Etowah County only 46,281 cast a ballot at a polling site, according to the Alabama Secretary of State.
The subcommittee wanted to ensure convenient access for voters while addressing the staffing shortage of poll workers across the state.
The poll workers are required to work the entire day, which can sometimes be up to 18 hours, and are compensated only a little more than $100. Hassell said that most of the poll workers recruited by the county are retirees, and it is becoming more difficult to find people who want to work long hours for little pay.
Another reason for the change is to remove public institutions of learning from the polling locations.
“Each and every year we talk about school safety,” Hassell said. “On election day, Thompson Elementary School, Walnut Park Elementary School and Gadsden State Community College had an influx of people who were not vetted, I don’t mean that derogatory, it’s just real life. The SROs didn’t know who was on campus.”
The following locations have changed:
Old Gadsden High School to Downtown Civic Center
Tillison Bend Water Authority to East Gadsden Community Center
Reece City City Hall to Kiwanis Pavilion
New Union Fire Station to Egypt Community Center
Ivalee Fire Department to Jane Phillips Community Center
Gallant Fire Department to Jane Phillips Community Center
Altoona Community Center to Walnut Grove Community Center
Walnut Grove Fire Dept to Walnut Grove Community Center
Mountainboro Fire Dept to Sardis City City Hall
North Gadsden Community Center to NE Etowah Community Center
Rainbow City Fire Station #2 to Rainbow City Community Center
Wallace Hall to East Gadsden Community Center
Cave Springs Community Center to Sardis City City Hall
Walnut Park Rec Center to Gadsden Senior Wellness Center
Whorton Bend Fire Department, which was one of the locations that was to be consolidated, will remain as a polling location.
