Wednesday, November 22, 2000

By MONROE ROARK
mroark@TheCitizenNews.com

This month's liquor referendum in Fayetteville brought to light a potential problem for city residents the inadequate voting facilities for residents.

Mayor Kenneth Steele noted as last week's City Council workshop that having only one official city polling place, the Depot on East Lanier Avenue, is an idea whose time has come and gone. The city is already looking into potential sites for the addition of one to three polling places in time for next fall's City Council elections.

Steele pointed out that the Depot was quite crowded for the Nov. 7 election, and inclement weather could have made the situation worse.

Because the addition of polling places requires approval at state and federal levels, Steele asked city clerk Judy Stephens to begin the process of considering other sites. Facilities on the west side of Ga. Highway 85 and on the north end of town off Ga. Highway 314 might be the most obvious areas, Steele said, although he wants input from other council members in the coming weeks on specific locations.

City Manager Joe Morton suggested that existing polling places for county elections might not be the best places to consider because of possible conflicts due to multiple uses. Steele replied that he is open to any suggestions as far as where to have residents cast their ballots.

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