Putnam Consolidates Voting Precincts For Tuesday’s Election

Tuesday marks the debut of consolidated voting precincts in Putnam County, down from 22 to 18.

Phil Adams chairs the Putnam County Election Commission. Adams said four locations across the county have been combined with nearby existing precincts. He said people who vote in Algood will now all vote together at Algood Elementary School. He said there has been confusion in the past with Algood Middle School acting as a precinct across the street.

“There’s no confusion, and they get the right ballot that way,” Adams said. “So all it does is combine those two next-door voting locations into one single location so people don’t have to wonder which building do I go inside. They just go to one building and walk inside, we give them the correct ballot, and they vote.”

Adams said Baxter residents used to voting at the Boma Community Center will now vote at Upperman High School. He said people who once voted in Dry Valley will move to the larger parking lot and enhanced facility at the Cookeville Community Center to cast their vote. Sycamore and Pavilion precincts have been combined to vote at Hyder Burks.

One of the biggest reasons for the change, Adams said, the challenge of finding volunteers willing to work 12-14-hour days with voters trickling into seldom-used locations.

“That’s part of it,” Adams said. “Are they physically able to put in a long day? Some people are standing all day because they’re beside a machine. Can you stand most of the day? And, you know, do you work well with people? Are you friendly?”

He said the adjustment will provide a larger turnout at each location with more machines to prevent lines and wait times. He said the decision was made to consolidate locations during a July Election Commission meeting.

Precincts open 9am-7pm Tuesday.