Local Dems Protest Polling Place By Kathleen McFadden Officials of the Watauga County Democratic Party registered strong opposition to the selection of Mutton Crossing as the new polling place for the New River 3 precinct at Tuesday’s Board of Elections meeting, but the three-member board, after hearing the protest and a recommendation from Supervisor of Elections Jane Ann Hodges to consider an alternative proposed by the Democrats, took no action to reverse their earlier decision. New River 3 voters, at least for the 2004 election, will cast their ballots at the building on Bamboo Road. Forced to find a new precinct location for New River 3 because of the unavailability of the Wellness Center, the Board of Elections considered a number of alternatives and gave serious consideration to University Hall, site of the Appalachian Cultural Museum and the offices of the Appalachian Regional Development Institute. The local Republican Party did not approve of that location and passed a resolution opposing its selection as a polling place at the GOP convention in March. During the week after the convention, according to Hodges, Watauga County Board of Commissioners Chair James Coffey, who is running for reelection this year, stopped by the Board of Elections office to register an objection to University Hall. Hodges said that she challenged Coffey to find a better location, and he suggested Mutton Crossing. Supervisor of Elections Jane Hodges (left) displays a precinct map as members of the Board of Elections — John Hovis, Jean Williamson and Bud Ellwood — listen to her explanation of the rationale behind choosing Mutton Crossing as the new polling place for the New River 3 precinct. Local Democratic Party officials attended the meeting to register the party’s opposition to the choice. Photo by Kathleen McFadden Hodges and Board of Elections members — John Hovis, Jean Williamson and Bud Ellwood — inspected the facility and decided that it would better serve the needs of voters than University Hall. In selecting a polling place, the board must choose a handicapped-accessible location within the precinct that has sufficient room for precinct workers to be located within eyesight of all voting booths. Room size limitations at University Hall were the principal reason the board cited for not selecting that location. At their April meeting, the Board of Elections passed a resolution naming Mutton Crossing as the New River 3 polling place, a resolution subsequently approved by the State Board of Elections. At last Tuesday’s meeting, Loretta Clawson, appearing as a New River 3 voter and vice chair of the Democratic Party for the New River 3 precinct, read a statement into the record with the following six objections to the selection of Mutton Crossing: · Very few voters know where Mutton Crossing is located. · The location is not served by AppalCART. · The building is privately owned and operated “by a highly partisan Republican activist and has been used by the Republican Party for both fundraising and for rallies.” Mutton Crossing is owned by Weldon Critcher. · The owner is charging for the building’s use. · The building has only 13 parking spaces at the main entrance level where voters will be required to enter. The remaining parking is behind the building on a lower level. · While the local GOP objected to University Hall because it would cause rural voters to have to travel long distances to cast their ballots because the proposed polling place was on the edge of the precinct boundaries, the voters in New River 3 are, the statement noted, largely urban, not rural, and Mutton Crossing is located at the eastern edge of the precinct boundaries. The Democratic Party statement expressed support for University Hall as the best location, but also proposed alternatives to Mutton Crossing, including Optimist Park, the Roundup, the ASU Business Affairs Annex (the old Lowe’s building) and the VFW. During the subsequent discussion, Hodges noted that the $40 fee is paid to other private businesses used as polling places, and board members pointed out the space limitations at University Hall and a problem with the VFW. Handicapped voters would have to enter the VFW through the bar, which would be open during a portion of the hours allowed for voting. The board felt that citizens should not have to travel through a bar while alcoholic beverages are being served to vote. Although Hodges recommended that the board consider the Roundup, board member Williamson said that she did not see that moving the precinct location to the Roundup — a privately owned business located just off of Bamboo Road but closer to Highway 421 — would be a significant change from Mutton Crossing. “What would we be accomplishing?” she asked, adding, “I want to remind everybody that this is not just a Democratic precinct.” In response to the Democratic Party officials’ claim that the majority of New River 3 voters are urban and a supporting map showing voter density in the precinct, board member Ellwood said that in the polling place selection process, the board had looked “at the suitability of buildings.” Ellwood continued, “Maps and voter concentration are not a factor, not something we look at. Where [voters] are located is a secondary issue that we do not consider.” “You’re taking the vote away from the people,” Clawson said. Local Democratic Party Secretary Jerry Williamson said, “We have a problem with a partisan candidate in this election choosing a precinct location,” and he pointed out that Coffey lives near Mutton Crossing. Board member Williamson responded, “I’m going to stand by the way I was thinking and voting. The location was never, ever chosen because of where James Coffey lives.” When Clawson alluded to “a perception out there” that is contrary to the board’s position, board member Williamson replied, “This board can’t be concerned about perception. We made what we think is the best choice. We’re looking at more than one perspective.”