Newcastle’s voting venue changes

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Tuesdays’s primary election marks the first time that voters will cast ballots at the county-owned Weston County Events Center at the fairgrounds. For years, Newcastle voters cast their votes at the National Guard Armory in Newcastle. 
As previously reported by the News Letter Journal, the Weston County commissioners voted on April 17, 2018, to change the polling location of the next election. According to Jill Sellers, former county clerk, voters in Newcastle have cast their ballots at the National Guard Armory since 1984.  
Polling places in both Upton and Osage will remain the same as in the 2018 elections. Residents will cast their ballots at the Upton Community Center or the Osage Fire Hall, depending on which precinct their residence is in. 
According to County Clerk Becky Hadlock, voters will notice changes in voting procedure and spacing to adhere to COVID-19 health order regulations. 
“We will have stickers on the floor 6 feet apart to maintain social distancing. We will also have hand sanitizer in different spots,” Hadlock said. 
Voters will also notice the lack of a pen in the voting booths, Hadlock said. 
“Each person will have to vote with a different pen. We will have pens for them, and they will have to take them with or throw them in the trash,” Hadlock said,
Procedure at polling locations is not the only thing the COVID-19 pandemic has changed about the way Americans will be voting across the country. According to Hadlock, the county clerk’s office has already received more than the usual number of absentee ballots. 
“As of today (Aug. 10), we have received over 500 absentee ballots,” Hadlock said, noting that the county usually averages 100 or so absentee ballots. 
Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 for the 2020 primary election.