DeKalb elections officials have asked for permission to shift the boundaries of precincts in Clarkston, Decatur, Brookhaven and parts of Atlanta that exist within the county.
Those changes are intended to ease overcrowding in some areas and in other cases are a result of annexations that changed the boundary lines of cities. More than 5,000 voters would be affected by the change.
The county commission is in the process of reviewing these recommendations from the DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections. The new polling locations must be approved in enough time to notify affected voters ahead of this fall's elections when several DeKalb cities have races on the ballot and there is a countywide referendum on changes to the ethics code and ethics board.
Among the recommended changes is a new precinct in Decatur to replace Renfroe Middle School. The county also wants to shift the boundary lines of the precinct at Oakhurst Baptist Church to evenly distribute city of Decatur voters now that its boundary lines have expanded through annexation.
Brookhaven annexations were also the catalysts for changes there, which impact precincts at Margaret Harris Educational Center and Woodward Elementary School.
Shifts in the eastern boundary lines of the city of Atlanta caused changes to precincts at McNair High School, Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church and Burgess Elementary School.
The elections board also wants to create a new precinct at the Clarkston Community Center to reduce overcrowding at an existing polling location at Clarkston First Baptist Church.
The DeKalb commission’s County Operations Committee discussed the proposed changes at a meeting this week but deferred a vote until their meeting next month. The full commission must sign off on any changes.
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