PORTSMOUTH — Many Portsmouth voters may have a new polling place come November.

Due to the General Assembly approving a redistricting plan in February, local canvassers likewise had to redraw precinct lines which will shift some voters to different polling locations. 

Under the plan put forth by the Portsmouth Canvassing Authority, Melville School and The Portsmouth Senior Center would no longer be used as polling places. The proposed precincts are as follows:

• Hope Brown Center at Farnham Farm, 113 Mount Pleasant Ave., Prudence Island

• CFP Arts, Wellness and Community Center, 933 Anthony Road

• Portsmouth High School field house (“new gym”), 120 Education Lane

• Portsmouth Friends Church, 11 Middle Road

• Portsmouth Town Hall, 2200 East Main Road

• St. Barnabas Parish Hall, 1697 East Main Road

• Portsmouth Middle School gym, 125 Jepson Lane

“Right now we have eight precincts, but we’re going to have seven,” said Jacqueline Schulz, the town’s registrar of voters, adding that the local plan still needs final approval from the R.I. Board of Elections. “The only one that we’re not opening that we had in the past is Melville School, because all of their voters have shifted somewhere else.”

Bill in limbo

The shifting is partly necessary because of a state statute that dictates each precinct can have no more than 3,000 registered voters. “Everybody shifted so we could accommodate this 3,000 (rule),” she said.

A bill to increase that number to 3,500 passed in the R.I. House of Representatives, but the Senate is reluctant to approve such legislation, Schulz said. She’s not sure whether those in the Senate are getting good information, or whether there are warranted concerns in certain communities. 

“But all of the election officials I speak with are not seeking to close polling locations; we’re seeking to maintain the ones that we have and not have to go and find other ones. We asked for three other locations in Portsmouth and we were turned down, so we don’t have a whole lot of options and that’s happening in all of our communities,” she said.

Still, canvassers tried to make “minimal changes,” and the shifts will actually be more convenient for many voters, according to Schulz. “The Board of Canvassers, under their criteria, said they’d like to keep neighborhoods together, and If there was walking distance, to consider that.”

For example, under Portsmouth’s proposed plan, many people who voted at Melville will go to Portsmouth Friends Church, while others will go to Town Hall, she said.

“It’s never convenient for anyone to walk to Melville School. It’s very dangerous to get in and out of,” she said of the school, which was not used as a polling place in 2020. “During the pandemic, the children could not be immunized, so we did not use (Melville).”

The shifting should be more agreeable for other voters as well, she said.

“People across the street here (Anthony House) used to have to go to St. Barnabas,” Schulz said. “That’s not happening anymore. They can just walk over here (to Town Hall). Atria Aquidneck now just has to come up the street now; they don’t have to go to Melville.”

The Portsmouth Senior Center, which is only partially open due to fire code violations, can no longer be used as a polling place. “Those (voters) are being shifted to Portsmouth High School, and a few people are going to Common Fence Point,” she said.

The Portsmouth Canvassing Authority determined the polling locations and precinct boundaries after meeting with Election Data Services last month. 

The next step is for the R.I. Board of Elections to review the list of polling sites and conduct onsite inspections to make sure they meet certain criteria such as the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act and that they can accommodate enough voters.

“Portsmouth shouldn’t be difficult because we only have two new ones,” Schulz said.

Voters will be notified

In mid-June, every registered voter will receive notification of changes to their voter records in the form of a postcard from the Portsmouth Canvassing Authority. It will include the voter’s specific district information and identify the new precinct number and location to vote on Election Day. It will also provide information about voting in the upcoming 2022 elections. 

Contact the Canvassing office at portsmouth_canvassing@portsmouthri.com or 401/683-3157 with any questions.