T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Belmont County Board of Elections Director Kelly McCabe and Deputy Director Aaron Moore discuss options for a new voting location after being informed by the state that the station at Country Club Retirement Center must be moved due to risks of the coronavirus. The precinct will instead vote at the Belmont County engineer’s garage in Neffs

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Voters in Bellaire’s Precinct 84 will cast their ballots at the Belmont County engineer’s garage in Neffs due to concerns related to COVID-19.

The garage is located behind the fire department, at 65137 Giffen Street.

The Belmont County Board of Elections set the new location during a special meeting Wednesday. The site of Precinct 84, previously based at the Country Club Retirement Center, was changed due to concerns about the novel coronavirus and the vulnerability of elderly people to the disease.

“We were issued a directive on March 9 from the Ohio secretary of state to move any precinct that was housed inside a residential senior citizens facility, and we have one in Belmont County,” county Director Kelly McCabe said.

She said members had found two likely replacement sites to choose from: the Neffs garage and Bellaire Middle School. McCabe said she believed the garage was the better alternative to minimize potential student exposure to the virus.

Gov. Mike DeWine has since ordered all public schools in Ohio closed for three weeks.

Board member Michael Shaheen said other schools that host voting had closed when given notice beforehand.

“I think moving forward, if this is going to be something permanent, we should have that conversation with them,” Shaheen said. “I understand your concern while the school’s inhabited, but in the November election, if there was no school, I think this might be a better spot.”

Board member Frankie Carnes disagreed.

“I don’t think it’s going to be as good for the pollworkers,” she said of the garage, pointing out a possible lack of ready facilities.

“Regardless, I never think it’s a good idea, in this day and age, to use a school while school’s in session,” Shaheen said.

McCabe said three other schools in the county host voting sites. They will not be open on Election Day, which is Tuesday.

McCabe said the garage is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and has facilities such as restrooms and a lunch area for the pollworkers. She suggested the garage be the permanent voting site for the precinct.

The board discussed parking preparations and means of entrance, as well as security. Signs will be posted at the care facility and the garage directing voters to the new site.

Shaheen commended McCabe and Deputy Director Aaron Moore for their quick response.

They “received an email after business hours on March 9 and here we are two days later already with an alternate spot,” Shaheen said. “We have no time to waste with an election a week out. We certainly appreciate their diligence.”

The 1,100 registered voters in the precinct will be notified by postcard. The board could not predict the percentage of voters that may turn out.

McCabe said hand sanitizer and wipes will also be provided for the pollworkers at every voting site.

“So they can be wiping the tables down periodically,” she said.

Moore added they will use special wipes for all of the electronic touchscreens to be periodically cleaned. McCabe said they expect no further issues or directives for the other voting sites.

For more information, call 740-526-0188.

For any questions regarding state response to coronavirus, visit VoteOhio.gov/CoronaFacts.