Macon-Bibb elections officials prepare for new early voting locations

The Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections continues to prepare for having two early voting locations later this year.

Members of the elections board stressed Thursday the importance of having everything in order as the relocation of the main office nears and a second early voting site at Terminal Station edges toward opening. In previous years, the only location for early voting has been the main elections board office.

The lease for the new office is expected to be signed by the property owner in the next couple of weeks, officials said.

Last week, Macon-Bibb commissioners approved the lease for the former Shoe Carnival building at 2525 Pio Nono Ave. The elections office would move into the renovated space in early August, which would allow time for election employees to be ready for early voting in advance of the Nov. 8 general election.

After the lease is signed, "we'll have periodic checkpoints to ensure they are on target to deliver that space by July 1," Assistant County Manager Charles Coney said.

Before the relocation happens, officials aim to have Terminal Station ready for the May 2 early voting period.

Elections officials also discussed Thursday having to move some money around in order to pay for some equipment needed for Terminal Station in downtown Macon to handle early voting in the May 24 elections.

The elections board is now looking at spending $11,000 to pay for that equipment. The board will seek to have those funds reimbursed by the county.

"I'm really concerned because we're in the last couple months of the budget (year) where we don't have any wiggle room," elections board member Cassandra Powell said.

Also Thursday, the elections board selected Powell to serve as chairwoman and Mike Kaplan as vice chairman.

To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on Twitter@stan_telegraph.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb elections officials prepare for new early voting locations ."