STEUBENVILLE — Many voters in Jefferson County can look forward to precinct consolidations and polling location changes the next time they head to the polls.

The county board of elections announced Monday it had approved a comprehensive set of precinct consolidations and polling location changes that will take effect beginning with the Nov. 4 General Election.

“These changes were necessary to address a combination of factors, including the loss or impending unavailability of certain polling places, shrinking precinct populations and the need to provide stronger support and backup operations at every polling site,” board members said.

“These updates are necessary to ensure a smooth and secure voting process,” said Robert Gale, director of the board of elections. “Some polling places are no longer available for our use, others are expected to become unavailable in the near future and several precincts have experienced a significant decline in population and registered voters. Additionally, we are eliminating single-precinct polling locations so that every site can host multiple precincts, which gives us better redundancy in staffing and equipment.”

About 12,308 registered voters — representing about 27 percent of the county’s electorate — will be impacted by the changes, which Gale said represents the largest precinct restructuring the county has seen in recent memory.

“This action helps us realign operations with current realities on the ground,” he said. “It allows us to maintain efficiency, remain compliant with voting regulations and continue offering accessible and well-supported polling places.”

Precinct consolidations and polling locations include:

• Adena will be merged with Piney Fork; voting will take place at Smithfield Presbyterian Church;

• Mingo A and Mingo B will be merged into Mingo 1; Mingo A remains at its current location, Mingo B moves to Harmony United Methodist Church;

• Mingo C and Mingo D will be merged into Mingo 2; both will vote at Harmony United Methodist Church;

• Rayland will be merged into Tiltonsville; voting will take place at Yorkville VFW Post 4811;

• Wells 2 will be merged with Wells 1, now generally called Wells; the voting location remains unchanged;

• New Alexandria will be merged into the newly formed Wells precinct; voting location remains unchanged; and

• Wintersville D will be merged into Wintersville C; voting location remains unchanged.

Polling location changes, alphabetized by precinct, include:

• Amsterdam will now vote at East Springfield Community Hall;

• Bantam Ridge will now vote at Blessed Sacrament Church, Upper Sargus Hall;

• Brentwood will now vote at Blessed Sacrament Church, Upper Sargus Hall;

• Brush Creek will now vote at the Saline Township Complex;

• Georges Run will now vote at the Wells Township Community Hall;

• Lincoln will now vote at Smithfield Presbyterian Church;

• Pine Valley will now vote at Friends Church;

• Piney Fork will now vote at Smithfield Presbyterian Church;

• Richmond will now vote at the Glenn Mills Senior Community Center;

• Ross will now vote at the Bergholz Volunteer Fire Department;

• Toronto 1A, 2A and Wintinger will now vote at the Karaffa Recreation Center; and

• Toronto 4A will now vote at the Cornerstone Church.

Of those who are impacted, 94 percent of voters will see a polling location change of less than five miles. The shortest relocation is just 151 feet, and the longest is 9.1 miles, election officials explained

“Every polling site relocation is made with thoughtful consideration for travel distance, accessibility and the longevity of the facility,” Gale said. “Unfortunately, in some of Jefferson County’s outlying areas, very few buildings meet the strict ADA standards required under the Help America Vote Act, state law and secretary of state directives. In a few cases, we had to move locations farther than we preferred — but those sites were simply no longer viable.”

All affected voters will be notified of the changes by mail in August. Each household will receive a postcard indicating their new precinct or polling location.

“Please keep this card on hand — it contains essential information that will make election day easier for you,” said Gale.

In addition to mailed notifications, voters can verify their precinct and polling location at any time by visiting voteohio.gov, the official voter information website of the Ohio Secretary of State.

“These changes will be implemented for the November General Election,” Gale emphasized. “We always encourage voters to make a plan — know when to go, where to go and what to bring. This year, we’re asking all voters to take just one extra step to confirm their polling location before Election Day.”

Gale said it’s important to note that these changes only affect in-person voting on Election Day. Early in-person voting and voting by mail remain available and unchanged.

Anyone with questions can call the Jefferson County Board of Elections at (740) 283-8522 or visit voteohio.gov.