Medina County Fairgrounds will not be a polling place for March election

MEDINA — The Medina County Fairgrounds, one of the largest polling locations in Medina County, will be unavailable for the March primary election. The Medina County Board of Elections discussed the status of the March election during its meeting on Tuesday. Deputy Director Heather McDermott said the fairgrounds will not be available as a polling location for either the primary election or a possible August special election. In March, the fairgrounds will host The Big Red Wagon Kids' and Maternity Consignment Sale, and the Medina County Fair will take place in August. The board of elections is working with the Ohio Army National Guard Medina Armory to see if it could be a potential alternative polling location, McDermott said. When used as a polling location, the fairgrounds typically houses more than 10 precincts in Medina. "My big concern when we have to keep on moving, switching back and forth, is disenfranchising people, who either do not get the notice for some reason or lose it or just get confused when their habit is to go to a certain place," Chairwoman Pam Miller said. The board of elections intends to have voters who normally go to the fairgrounds vote at the same alternative polling location for every election in 2024, including in November, McDermott said. For instance, the board is looking into whether the Armory would be available as a polling location in each election next year. "We prefer not to move people between the primary and the general," Director Nicole Mickley said. Currently, the fairgrounds is the only change in polling location that the board of elections is aware of for the March election, she said. Impacted voters will receive a notice in the mail regarding the change. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.