At the November 8, 2021, meeting of the Chester County Commission the formal resolution to establish Commission districts was approved. The redistricting process takes place every 10 years and is based on census data. The goal is to have all of the district populations relatively the same so that each commissioner represents the same number of people. While the 2020 Census data showed the population in Chester County had only changed by 210, the shift between districts necessitated slight adjustments in all six districts.
Voters will also see a few changes the next time they head to the polls. Two of the county’s voting precincts are being absorbed resulting in a reduction from 11 to nine locations. The precinct previously located at the Masseyville Fire Station will now be combined with the Montezuma precinct and will vote at the Montezuma Community Center. Voters who have historically voted at the Sweetlips Community Center will be directed to vote at either Estes Church of Christ or the Enville Community Center depending on where their residence is located within the first district. The decision to close the Masseyville and Sweetlips precincts was not an easy one. However, election day communication with both locations has been a challenge. The Election Commission felt strongly that safety for poll officials and voters must be the top priority. In today’s environment, it is imperative to have reliable lines of communication with every precinct. Voters do not need to be concerned about longer wait times on election days as the combined precincts will be equipped and staffed to accommodate the increase in the number of voters. Voters can also take advantage of early voting to avoid the chance of election day lines.
The other change voters in the fifth district will see is a change of voting location. All District Five voters have historically voted at East Chester Elementary School. That precinct is being moved to Chester County Junior High School to provide improved handicap accessibility.
While the redistricting process would normally take place over several months, many COVID related delays with the 2020 census have now forced that timeline into 3-4 weeks. All district and precinct changes must be completed before December 20, 2021, when the election office begins issuing petitions for the May and August 2022 elections.
Voters will soon be receiving new voter registration cards in the mail indicating their updated district and precinct information. Individuals can also check the GoVote.TN app to find their new precinct information. Of course, anyone with questions regarding their voter registration can always contact the Chester County Election office at 989-4039.
See page 3 for detailed district maps.
The district maps will also be on chestercountyindependent.com and on the Chester County Independent Facebook page.
