Security issues move polls

COLUMBUS -- Platte County voters who previously voted at a Columbus Public School polling place will be voting elsewhere as the result of security concerns.

Polling places in the district’s elementary schools have all been moved at the request of school administration.

“Early this year, I was asked by Mr. Hillyer, of CPS, if it would be possible to move the polling places I have in the Columbus Public Schools to other places,” Platte County Election Commissioner Diane Olmer said in an e-mail response to Telegram questions. “The reason being, that they now lock down all their schools, for security reasons. To leave it open on election day, really isn't a good idea. So it was for the safety of the students.”

Olmer said information about current polling places was included in public notices she has placed since late March and in all correspondence sent to first-time voters and voters making registration changes.

“The post cards that people receive after registering for the first time or re-registering to change name, address or party, all have the current Polling Places on them,” Olmer wrote. “I plan to have signs in the ground at each school, not being used, to let the voter know as they drive in that they need to go to another location. There will be signs on the school doors also.”

Olmer described he criteria she had to meet in finding new polling places. She said the first consideration is accessibility.

“First, it has to be handicap accessible,” Olmer wrote. “If it doesn’t meet all the specs walking in, there are several fixes that will be done for election day to make it work.”

Olmer said the next consideration was proximity. She said the preferred place for any polling place is within the precinct it serves, but if that’s not possible then locating it close to the voters is the goal.

“I had to get permissions, contracts signed and do my handicap checks,” Olmer wrote. “Then supplies have to be moved. It was a big task to get done in such short notice. I think the places that are replacing the schools will be good.”

Bold entries in the following list indicate polling places that were changed.

1A South-Side Fire Station, 424 8th St. (previously at Centennial School)

1B Platte County Agriculture Park, Main Building, dining room

1C St. Bonaventure Parish Center, 16th Street and 18th Avenue

1D St. Anthony’s Parish Center., 553 18th Avenue

2A Federated Church, 2704 15th Street

2B Knights of Columbus Hall, 3115 6th Street

2C Rainbow Center 3602 16th Street

2D Bible Baptist Church, 1771 43rd Ave., North entry (previously at West Park School)

3A Peace Lutheran Church, 2720 28th Street

3B First Baptist Church, 3210 30th Street

3C ESU 7 Bldg., 2657 44th Avenue

3D Highland Park Evangelical Free Church, 4115 38th St. (SE Entrance)

4A Immanuel Lutheran Parish Center, 1470 24th Ave. (previously at Emerson Elementary School)

4B CHS Administration Building, board room, 2508 27th St.

4C Cottonwood House, 3271 29th Ave. (previously at North Park School)

4D Victory Christian Fellowship Church, 2665 E 14th Ave. (south entrance)

Columbus Township A, Platte County Agricultural Park, main building dining room

Columbus Township B, Columbus Berean Church, 3027 38th St. (previously Lost Creek School)

Bismark St. John’s Lutheran (Shell Creek) Church ELCA, 10785 280th St. (previously Shell Creek Elementary School)

Sherman/Grand Prairie, St. John’s Lutheran Church basement, 39452 205 Ave.

Creston, Creston Rural Fire building

Shell Creek, Lakeview High School, 3744 83rd St.

Humphrey, Humphrey City Hall, east side

Butler/Loup Duncan Village Hall, (Loup Township voters are now part of Butler precinct and vote at the Duncan Village Hall)

Oconee/Monroe, Twin River School gym, Monroe site

Lost Creek/Burrows, St. Joseph’s Church Parish Center, 167 A St., Platte Center

Granville, Humphrey City Hall, west side

Joliet, Lindsay Town Hall

St. Bernard, Lindsay Town Hall

Walker/Woodville, Palestine Baptist Church, 45219 370 St., St. Edward, (Joliet Township Sect. No. 19 West of 445th Avenue on 370th Street north side of road).