Polls At Sulphur To Remain Open

SULPHUR SPRINGS — Voters in Sulphur Springs will be assured a polling place this year after it was discovered a Benton County Election Commission vote to close the site was invalid.

According to state statutes, the vote to close a polling site must be unanimous.

At an earlier meeting two of the three commissioners, Bill Williams and E. J. Miller, voted to close the Sulphur Springs site. Commissioner Tim Hutchinson voted no. Thus, according to Commissioner Bill Williams, Sulphur Springs will remain open this year.

Polls in Maysville, Cherokee City and Gateway will be closed since votes on those sites were unanimous for the closing. Williams said Gateway, an incorporated city, had requested to vote at Avoca.

Reasons given for the closings, Miller said, include difficulty in findingpoll workers, difficulty in training poll workers, lack of voter turnout and the expense.

Miller admitted the state pays the cost of primary elections. Cities and school districts pay for the costs of their elections and any special elections. Sulphur Springs recently paid $2,828.26, the cost of a special election held last October.

Williams indicated that, following the census this year, redistricting of the county will be required and it will be then the Commission looks at polling sites for the election in 2012.

Several Sulphur Springs residents recently appeared before the election commission and presented a petition opposed to closing that polling site. It was learned at that time the earlier action was invalid and the polls will remain open this year.