Putnam Election Official Talks Redistricting Poplar Grove

The Putnam County Election Administrator would like the Poplar Grove area to move voting districts.

Administrator Debbie Steidl said some issues arose when Poplar Grove moved from the 5th District to the 4th District nearly 10 years ago.

“That area has always sat in the 5th District, being a part of the districts down here in the area of Cookeville,” Steidl said. “We’ve set them up a place to vote, but there are only 246 people registered in that precinct. That automatically tells that there are few people voting there.”

The change initially required Poplar Grove residents to vote in Monterey. Steidl said the election commission eventually set up a precinct in the Poplar Grove area, but voting numbers have been very low.

“We’ve had as low as 61 and as much as 83 (voters),” Steidl said. “That’s just not very many people to have a precinct open all day long. It’s costly.”

Steidl said the problem happened following the 2010 census when the election commission redrew the county commission district lines. She’s making a push for moving the Poplar Grove area back to the 5th District as state officials get ready to conduct the 2020 census.

“We’re gonna ask once again,” Steidl said. “I asked during the process last time, but it was already to the county commissioners when I asked for it to be put back into the 5th,”

The move to change the district would not happen until after the 2020 census takes place.

Steidl said talking about the issue ahead of time would provide a better chance for getting the Poplar Grove area moved back into the 5th District.