DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa.– With the November 6th General Election approaching, the Dauphin County Board of Elections announced two election district mergers and changes to five other polling places in the county.
In response to a petition from the Dauphin County Board of Elections, the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas approved merging Highspire Borough’s 1st and 2nd Precincts into a signal election district, which will conduct elections out of the Citizens Fire Company at 272 Second St. The fire company previously served as the polling place for the former 1st Precinct. Voters from the former 2nd Precinct will no longer use the Highspire Borough Building and will vote at the Citizens Fire Company.
For Millersburg, the Court approved a Board of Election petition to merge the borough’s 1st and 2nd Wards into a single election district, and all voters will continue to vote at the Millersburg Fire House on Center Street.
These two mergers will enable the county to better allocate resources for election day, including polling place workers and other election materials.
As for the voters who need to be aware of changes in polling locations, the moves were made to address a variety of issues, from changes in space availability, ADA compliance and construction. Following is a listing of election districts with new polling places:
Harrisburg 12th Ward:
FORMER NEW
Neighborhood Center Laurel Towers Apartments
1801 North Third Street Community Room
Harrisburg, PA 17102 1531 North Third Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
The Neighborhood Center, which is situated at North Third and Kelker streets, is on the boundary of Harrisburg’s 11th and 12th Wards and has been serving as a polling place for those wards for several years. In November of 2017, the center, which is situated in the 11th Ward, moved both precincts out of its secured area, where each precinct had use of separate rooms for polling sites, into one meeting room just before entry into the secure portion of the building. Due to limited space for both election districts, the Elections Bureau must move one of the election districts to a new site. The Laurel Towers Apartments is within the boundary of Harrisburg’s 12th Ward and is just four blocks south of the Neighborhood Center on North Third Street. The Laurel Towers Apartment is ADA compliant and also serves a number of voters who would benefit from having the polling place moved to their place of residence.
Londonderry Township 2nd Precinct:
FORMER NEW
Londonderry Township Building Londonderry Fire Company
783 Geyers Church Road 2655 Foxiana Road
Middletown, PA 17057 Middletown, PA 17057
The Londonderry Fire Company viewing this move as a welcome opportunity to conduct food sales in conjunction with election day to raise much-needed funds and promote community support of the fire company. Additionally, the parking lot at the fire house is larger than the one at the municipal building.
Lower Paxton 4th Precinct:
FORMER NEW
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church American Legion Post 272
1214 Crosby St. 505 North Mountain Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112 Harrisburg, PA 17112
On June 25, the Bureau received a letter requesting that the polling place be moved out of the church. The American Legion Post 272 is within the 4th Precinct’s boundary and is just a few blocks south of the church along North Mountain Road.
Lower Paxton 25th Precinct:
FORMER NEW
Sports City The Village of Laurel Ridge
4141 Linglestown Road 399 Ring Neck Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17112 Harrisburg, PA 17112
In 2017, this polling place was moved from Keystone Technical Institute to Sports City due to KTI closing its doors. With the present sale pending for Sports City, the Bureau again is faced with the need to move this polling place. The new site is the Leasing Office and recreation center of The Village of Laurel Ridge, which is home to nearly 30 percent of the registered voters of this election district.
West Hanover 3rd Precinct:
FORMER NEW
FORMER NEW
West Hanover Elementary School Office of MDJ Lowell Witmer
Gymnasium 8010 Bretz Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17112 Harrisburg, PA 17112
The West Hanover Elementary School presently is undergoing major renovations. Once the renovations are complete, it is anticipated that the Elections Bureau will recommend moving back to the school. In the meantime, the bureau is requesting to temporarily move this polling place to the nearby Office of Magisterial District Judge Lowell Witmer, who has graciously agreed to host our election team and voters. A similar arrangement is in place with Magisterial District Judge David Judy in Royalton Borough’s 1st Ward.
All sites were surveyed for ADA compliance, and adjustments will be made as needed.
Voters will soon be receiving postcards notifying them of the polling place change. If voters wish to have a new voter ID card mailed to them, they may contact the Bureau and a new card will be mailed to them. Notifications of the changes were mailed to state legislators, municipal officials and party chairs.
For a complete listing of polling places, including maps showing the boundaries of each election district, visit www.DauphinCounty.org and then > Government > Election & Voter Registration > Polling Places. For additional questions, call the Elections Bureau at 717-780-6360.
SOURCE: Dauphin County Elections Bureau
