New voting precincts announced in Lawrence County

By Mary Grzebieniak

In some of the old precincts, sometimes fewer than 50 people showed up to vote.

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — For the May 18 primary election, 18,000 Lawrence County residents have been assigned new voting precincts.

All those affected are in New Castle, Ellwood City and New Beaver Borough.

The Lawrence County Election Board, which consists of Lawrence County commissioners, approved the new list of precinct locations when they met last week.

The move, which reduces the number of precincts in the county from 106 to 78, has been in the works since 2008, when it started under former Elections Director Marlene Gabriel, and has been approved by Lawrence County Common Pleas Court Judge Dominick Motto.

Elections Director Ed Allison said the reason for the consolidation is to improve efficiency. He said that several precincts had fewer than 200 registered voters, and in the last two elections, turnout at some was fewer than 50 voters.

Allison projects the annual cost savings from the consolidation at $30,600, including fewer personnel, polling-place rentals, machine deliveries and labor and supplies.

All those affected will receive new voter-registration cards through the mail with their new precinct location. In addition, polling places that are no longer being used will have signs displayed prominently advising voters where the new location is.

The changes follow, with the new polling place and precinct number first, followed by the former location and precinct number in parentheses:

City of New Castle First Ward

UPrecinct 1 – Mary Mother of Hope Church, Beaver Street (Mary, Mother of Hope, New Castle City Building, Precincts 1-3).

UPrecinct 2 – Lawrence Manor (Lawrence Manor, Precinct 4).

Second Ward

UPrecinct 1 – New Castle High School (Castleton Apartments, New Castle Church of God, Kennedy School Gym, (Precincts 1-4).

UPrecinct 2 – Kennedy School Gym (New Castle Church of God, Highland United Presbyterian Church, Precincts 5,6)

UPrecinct 3 – George Washington School (Clen-More United Presbyterian Church, Precinct 7.)

UPrecinct 4 – New Castle Church of God (Calvary Independent, New Castle Christian Academy, Precincts 8, 10).

UPrecinct 5 – St. John’s Lutheran Church, Highland Avenue, (New Castle Christian Academy, Precincts 9, 10).

Third Ward

UPrecinct 1 – Lockley School, (Lockley School, Croton Methodist Church, Precincts 1-4).

UPrecinct 2 – Croton School gym (Croton School gym, Precinct 5,6)

Fourth Ward

UPrecinct 1 – Housing Authority Maintenance Garage, Neal Street (Housing Authority Maintenance Garage, Brinton Hill, Third United Presbyterian Church, Precincts 1, 3, 5).

UPrecinct 2 – St. Joseph the Worker gym, Cascade Street (Thaddeus Stevens, Third United Presybterian Church).

UPrecinct 3 – St. Joseph the Worker gym (Christ Lutheran Church, St. Joseph the Worker gym, Precinct 7, 8).

Fifth Ward

UPrecinct 1 – Shepherd’s Lighthouse, Lyndal Street, (Housing Authority Maintenance Garage, Shepherd’s Lighthouse, Precincts 1-3).

UPrecinct 2 – Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, Christ Lutheran Church, Precinct 4).

Sixth Ward

UPrecinct 1 – West Side School (West Side School, Second Baptist Church, Precincts 1, 2).

UPrecinct 2 – West Side School (West Side School, Precinct 3)

Seventh Ward

UPrecinct 1 – St. Vincent DePaul Church (St. Vincent DePaul, Fire Department 7, Precincts 1-4).

Eighth Ward

UPrecinct 1 – Jameson South, Nursing School (St. Vitus, Jameson South Nursing School, Holy Trinity Church, Precincts 1-3).

Ellwood City Borough First Ward

UPrecinct 1 – Community Action (former West End School), (Crescent Place, Community Action, Precincts 1,2).

UPrecinct 1 – Trinity Lutheran Church (Trinity Lutheran, Christ Presbyterian, Precincts 1, 2).

New Beaver Borough

UPrecinct 1 – New Beaver Borough Volunteer Fire Department (Borough Building, Clinton Methodist Church, Wampum Improvement, Precincts 1-3).