Board hears update on new warehouse annex and on polling‑place notices; mailings cost about $5,000

Travis updated the Richmond County Board of Elections on progress readying a newly acquired warehouse annex on Reynold Street. After taking ownership staff discovered the building had lost service because the power pole serving the site had been run over; Georgia Power scheduled and completed a pole replacement after a roughly three‑week wait, restoring power, security and internet access. Travis told the board there was no county cost for the pole replacement.

The office plans to move most equipment after the June 19 election: staff will load out from the old building on June 18 and load into the new annex on June 20, coordinating with central services and a contracted moving company to transfer bookcases, boxes and other supplies. The board accepted the update as information.

On old business Travis reported that 4x4 signs marking the prior polling locations had been posted and that the office had sent approximately 8,000 mailed notices to affected voters at an estimated cost of about $5,000. Staff are placing three notices at each affected location and have also posted information to the elections website and social media. A board member asked whether the polling‑location moves had prompted calls; Travis said he had not received many inquiries but expected a higher volume of questions on election day and that he would begin reminding voters in interviews and social posts.

A board member also raised concern about relatively low in‑person attendance at a recent voter‑education forum at Henry Bingham; Travis said the session had been recorded and the slides posted and suggested low turnout may reflect competing community events.