Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
MONTGOMERY CO. – During the work session portion of the Board of Supervisors June 10, 2024 meeting, the Board of Supervisors agreed to move a public hearing for a proposed voting satellite office to a later date.
The proposition regarding a satellite office for Blacksburg is due to the upcoming presidential election expecting to create increased numbers at the polls. Currently, many Montgomery County residents vote at the Christiansburg Recreation Center or any of the other 28 polling locations in Montgomery County. One of the community concerns with the current voting polls is transportation and BT bus frequency. The proposal is to have a satellite polling station in the Blacksburg Community Center because it would provide closer voting for residents.
“I think those of us that were on the board when we did move to the new location probably remember that I had some serious concerns about public transportation to the site,” Supervisor April DeMotts said. “Those are still very much unresolved. From my house, which is surrounded by rental housing, there’s a mobile home community within a quarter mile. There’s low-income apartments within a quarter mile. It’s one hour and four minutes to get, via BT, to the voter registration office. So, two hours and eight minutes round trip, assuming the bus is right there when you need it to be. So, the public transportation concerns are very real.”
Voters in Montgomery County can vote at any Montgomery County polling site and can request an absentee ballot up to two weeks before the Nov. 5, 2024 voting day. There are multiple ways to vote, but the satellite polling office might help residents in terms of proximity. A major concern, other than transportation, is pressure on the staff as well as needing to hire more staff to be able to run the satellite office. The Board of Supervisors voted to move this matter forward to public hearing to be able to discuss and either vote to approve it or not, as well as hear from the community on this matter. That public hearing will occur at a later date that has not yet been decided.
