Two polling locations to be moved

The Jeff Davis Police Jury will be considering the relocation of polling locations for two precincts in Jennings in order to allow for the remodel of the city’s recreational center on East Academy.

According to Jeff Davis Registrar of voters Joann Blair said the precincts will have to be moved because the room currently being used as a polling location will be unavailable due to the city’s plans to remodel the recreational facility. The renovations include increasing the shop area used to store the city’s maintenance equipment and relocating staff offices into the area currently used for the poll locations.

The jurors are looking at the Sowela Tech Community College as a possible location for the new precincts, according to the proposed ordinance.

Sowela currently serves as the polling place for voters in Precinct 7, which comprises 1,649 voters, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.

Blair said that the move would affect the 295 voters in Jennings Precinct 9A and 1,356 voters in Precinct 9B, who have been voting at the recreational facility for over 25 years.

Blair said her office will be sure to give voters in these precincts plenty of notice to avoid any confusion on voting day.

“We will be informing people by sending out new voter information cards to every registered voter,” Blair said. “Any polling place change will be noted on the card and we will also be required by law to post the change in the official journal so there will be plenty of notice.”

The police jury will hear discussion and vote on approval of the ordinance relocating the precincts in September.

In other police jury news, approval was made for $30,000 for the tank car project on Watkins Road; over $5,000 for pipe repairs on A & D Abshire Road, North Gallaugher Road and Ardoin Road; and $148,820 to authorize the repair of a bridge on Freeland Road.