MACON, Ga. — The Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections is taking significant steps to enhance voter accessibility at the Macon Mall following complaints about the long walking distance to the polling site.
In March, voters raised concerns about the accessibility of the current voting location inside the mall. Elections Supervisor, Tom Gillon, acknowledged the difficulties faced by voters, especially those with mobility issues.
"Because our new office is deep within the mall, it is a longer walk. And right now, with the voting happening here in our office, there wasn't any good way to fix that," Gillon said.
To address these concerns, Gillon proposed using the county's new courtrooms for advanced voting. These courtrooms, located near the mall entrances on Bloomfield Road and Mercer University Drive, offer curbside access, a covered entrance, and ample space for voters to line up inside.
The board is also exploring the possibility of placing an absentee ballot drop box in the courtrooms. This requires legal approval from the state, as current regulations stipulate that drop boxes must be indoors and monitored during office hours.
Gillon also mentioned that voters have the option to use two other locations for early voting.
"We have two other satellite locations open during early voting. The Theron Ussery Park location over on Wimbish Road or the Elaine H. Lucas Senior Center down at Central City Park," Gillon said.
For those who might face complications, the board encourages voting via mail by absentee ballot, despite acknowledging the challenges with the current mail system.
"The ballots have to be mailed out through the mail, which we know is not the easiest. None of the mail is going through very quickly right now," Gillon said.
Early voting for the upcoming presidential election starts on Oct. 15. Additionally, a special election for the Macon Water Authority District 1 seat will be held on Nov. 5, election day.
The Board of Elections hopes to finalize their plans for the voting setup in the coming month.
Voters are reminded to register before the early voting window to participate in the upcoming elections.