Concerns Raised Over Polling Locations For Upcoming Northport Municipal Election

NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council was split Monday night when it voted 3-2 to approve the polling locations for the upcoming municipal election on Aug. 26.

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Concerns were raised over changes to certain polling places, along with debate over possibly making Northport City Hall the lone central polling precinct.

District 4 Councilwoman Jamie Dykes and District 5's Anwar Aiken voted against the new list of precincts, while a couple of residents spoke out in opposition before the vote was cast.

The new polling places are as follows:

District 1: Northport City Hall — 3500 McFarland Boulevard

District 2: New Zion Missionary Baptist Church — 1317 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

District 3: Daystar Family Church — 3975 Watermelon Road

District 4: Northport Fire & Rescue Station 2 — 5410 Highway 69 North

District 5: Flatwoods Baptist Church — 4520 70th Avenue

The changes saw the polling place moved in District 3 from Indian Lake Baptist Church and District 4 from the Northport Public Safety Building. This comes after redistricting and an interactive map is available for residents to view the new district lines.

"When district boundaries change, some polling locations must also change due to state law requirements of voting locations to be inside the district lines," Northport City Council President Christy Bobo told Patch. "This past Monday, the council faced a choice: consolidate all voting at City Hall or maintain district-based voting locations. I supported keeping voting in respective districts for several important reasons."

Bobo said she didn't believe City Hall could accommodate over 30,000 citizens to vote without creating unreasonably long lines and extended wait times for voters, while at the same time disrupting daily service operations.

"District-based voting keeps polling places closest to voters' homes," she said. "Polling locations being more convenient within the district is important to citizens. Notification posts are going out from the city which delineate the district of the resident/registered voter, along with the polling location."

Bobo went on to say that city staff assured her traffic plans will be established and clearly communicated to citizens before election day. There will also be a plan to utilize additional parking at adjacent properties and nearby lots, along with assistance to be offered to accommodate for those with disabilities.

"This decision prioritizes voter convenience and accessibility while meeting all legal requirements for fair elections," she said.

Tuscaloosa attorney and District 3 City Council candidate Jaime Conger spoke to the council during Monday night's meeting and voiced her opposition to two different polling locations.

“As an attorney, I am concerned that the current selection of polling places in Northport Districts 2 and 4 will give rise to voter suppression issues," she said. "In District 2, New Zion Missionary Baptist church is in the middle of the current MLK Boulevard road construction project which has ongoing road closures limiting the accessibility to the polling location. In District 4, Fire Station 2 has extremely limited parking and dangerous surrounding road conditions, which will give rise to traffic issues along Highway 69 North."

Conger also said that while the city is proposing using an adjacent church for additional parking, the lot is separated by a "180-yard grass field," which she said would lead to compliance issues for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

"This is all also hinging on the hope that there is not a fire emergency in the middle of the voting," she said. "The law provides for a solution that could have avoided all of these issues by having all districts vote in a central location at Northport City Hall. My hope was to bring these issues to the council’s attention so that the city could avoid needless litigation. Additionally, having only one polling location would substantially decrease the city’s expenses on Election Day, and those funds could be used for more necessary expenses.”

District 4 Councilwoman Jamie Dykes also supported the idea of using City Hall as a central polling place and raised her own concerns before voting against the new list of precincts.

"In District 2, the designated polling site is located on a road that is currently closed and under construction," Dykes told Patch. "This creates not only confusion but also a potential safety hazard for voters attempting to access the site. Voter turnout could be negatively affected simply due to inaccessibility."

Echoing Conger, Dykes said the District 4 polling location — in her district — is at a fire station with approximately 20 parking spaces. She said this doesn't account for fire department staff, poll workers or voters.

Dykes also said the fire station on Highway 69 North is located on one of the busiest stretches of highway in the area, with afternoon traffic routinely backing up past Sobcon Concrete.

"There is no traffic light at this location, raising serious safety concerns for both voters and law enforcement officers who will be expected to manage traffic on-site for 12+ hours," she said. "While there is parking available at the nearby [Union Chapel United Methodist Church], voters would be required to walk up a steep, grassy hill to access the fire station — a serious barrier for elderly residents, individuals with disabilities and parents with children."

Dykes then mentioned her concerns about what she views as a lack of clear, widespread communication regarding new polling locations and redrawn district lines.

While city leaders said that voters will be notified now that the new locations have been approved, Dykes said many residents are still unaware of where they are supposed to vote.

"Confusion on election day is inevitable unless urgent outreach is conducted," she said. "A solution would be to establish a centralized voting location at City Hall. This would provide ample parking, better traffic management, ADA accessibility, and a straightforward process for redirecting voters who may have initially gone to the wrong polling room. A centralized location also allows law enforcement and election officials to better manage resources and security. Voting should be as accessible, safe, and straightforward as possible for all citizens."

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