The Garland County Election Commission unanimously removed eight vote centers Wednesday from the county's list of Election Day polling locations, paring the list to 17.
The removals proceeded from concerns that the coronavirus pandemic may not allow the county to staff the more than two dozen locations it typically opens on Election Day. Election Commission Chairman Gene Haley said about 50 of the county's roughly 200 poll workers said they would not work the Nov. 3 general election.
The commission and county clerk's office are expecting more than 40,000 voters. They've projected as many as 15,000 could vote absentee.
"The ones that said no either said no because they had an underlying health condition, or because we told them we will not force voters to wear a face mask," Haley said. "We'll put up a sign that says please wear a face mask, but we cannot deny somebody the right to vote because they will not wear a face mask. If they come in and want to vote, we have to let them vote. We just have to figure out how to let them do it."
Haley said poll workers will be required to wear masks, but voters, people assisting voters or actively performing election administration duties and poll watchers were exempted from the state mask mandate that took effect Monday.
"According to what the governor said, voters, poll workers and poll watchers are not required to wear a mask," he said. "We're going to require poll workers to wear a mask. We can't legally require a poll watcher to wear a mask, because we can't legally require a voter to wear a mask. Are we going to suggest it? Yes."
Haley said the inability to compel voters to wear face coverings heightens the importance of enforcing social distancing at vote centers. Some, such as Lonsdale City Hall, are too small to distance more than a few voters, but Haley said the commission is obligated to retain those locations if the cities they are in have races on the ballot.
Haley said large venues, such as the Hot Springs Convention Center, would be ideal. He said the convention center has agreed to serve as a vote center but not as an early voting location. Early voting begins Oct. 19.
The county's adoption of the vote center model prior to the March 2016 preferential primaries and nonpartisan general election decoupled voters from assigned polling locations. Data from the five federal elections the county's held without assigned polling sites have revealed which locations consistently draw the most voter traffic.
The state election code requires a unanimous vote of the three members of a county election board to designate voting locations. Locations Garland County's commissioners removed Wednesday have had diminishing traffic since the county did away with assigned polling sites. Three are in the city limits of Hot Springs, four in unincorporated Garland County and one in Hot Springs Village.
Haley said even if the county could turn out its full complement of poll workers, many may opt out without giving the commission more than a few days notice if the curve of new infections were to rise sharply before Election Day.
"As it stands right now, if we get the extra 60 people we need for poll workers, what's going to change between now and the election?," he said. "How many people are going to change their mind and say, 'No, I'm not working'? I fear that's what's going to happen."
Haley said he didn't know the average age of county poll workers but presumed most are senior citizens. He said only one of the six student poll workers that staffed the March 3 preferential primaries and nonpartisan general election have agreed to work in November.
"We still want to recruit and train any young person that's willing," he said. "We're all in that risk category, so we definitely need some younger blood."
The commission removed the following locations from the county's list of vote centers:
• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 109 Hobson Ave.
• Oaklawn First Church of God, 2110 Seventh St.
• First Church of the Nazarene, 3804 Central Ave.
• Lake Hamilton Fire Department, 1111 Highway 290.
• Center Fork Baptist Church, 1101 S. Moore Road.
• Antioch Baptist Church, 3212 Sunshine Road.
• Jessieville First Baptist Church, 174 Beaudry Circle.
• Village Bible Church, 100 Ponderosa Way, Hot Springs Village.