BLYTHEWOOD – An election-eve change in polling places for some voters in Blythewood’s general election left a number of voters and at least two candidates wondering if all the voters in the affected precincts would be notified of the change less than 24 hours before voting is to begin at 7 a.m., Tuesday morning.
The change affects voters in both Blythewood’s precinct 3 and the LongCreek precinct.
Candidates Trish Hovis and incumbent Rich McKenrick both live in precinct 3, and both told The Voice that they and other voters in the precinct didn’t know about the change in polling places until late today (Monday) and that some appear not to have received the notification.
Richland County Election Commission Director Travis Alexander told The Voice that he sent post cards to the affected voters on Thursday and provided The Voice a copy of the information on the card which stated that the polling place for the Blythewood General Election had been changed to the Blythewood Fire Station, located at 435 Main Street in Blythewood.
Adding to the confusion, however, the card, which some voters said they received late today, stated – incorrectly – that the “designated polling location has been reassigned for The City of Columbia General Election,” not the Town of Blythewood General Election.
Alexander told The Voice that should not be confusing, because the address of the new polling place – the Blythewood Fire Station – is correct on the card. However, the card does not mention precinct 3 or LongCreek precinct.
An election notice published twice in The Voice for the Town of Blythewood election designated the polling place for precinct 3 and LongCreek voters as Blythewood High School. Some precinct 3 voters told the voice as late as 5 p.m. Monday that they had not received notice of the change.
Alexander told The Voice that he did not have a map of the precincts affected nor a list of addresses to provide to The Voice for notifying the public. The Voice obtained a copy of a map of precinct 3 from candidate Patricia Hovis. The map does not include the LongCreek precinct.
Alexander said he first learned he would have to move the polling place after he was notified on Thursday that Blythewood High School could not be used for a polling place on Tuesday. He did not say if he was notified by officials at the high school or Richland School District Two
“We had a change last Thursday,” Alexander said. “We had an issue with the school being closed [for voting] while students were coming in.” He did not say why this problem was not discovered sooner.
He said he went to the town hall Thursday to see if that would be a suitable substitute, then decided to move the polling place to the Fire Station. Alexander said he notified Town officials of the change in polling places on Thursday while he was at town hall.
Neither the mayor, town hall officials, nor Alexander notified The Voice or other media of the change.
Town Clerk Sharon Durst told The Voice that town hall and the mayor knew last Thursday that the precinct was going to be moved, but nothing about the change was posted to the Town’s social media and no notification was sent to the media or anyone else in the town that she knew of.
“Travis (Alexander) said he would notify the voters.” Durst said.
“Well, [the notification] went out Thursday, so I can’t, I won’t even say it might not get there till tomorrow [Tuesday], which is going to be sad, but…” Alexander said late Monday.