Registered Barrow County voters wishing to participate in Advance Voting will find the location moving up - upstairs at the Barrow County Administrative Annex, that is.

With the State of Georgia logging record turnout for the Feb. 5 Presidential Preference Primary and the heightened interest in local campaigns because of the number of contested races, a larger space was desired for the week of Advance Voting, according to Chief Administrator Keith Lee.

During the week of July 7-11, Barrow County will be conducting Advance Voting for the Republican and Democratic parties for the General Primary in the commissioners' meeting room.

"As a result of increasing participation in the Advance Voting process, limitations on space and the general efficiencies to county operations, Election Supervisor Kristi Royston and I made the decision to move the Advance Voting process to the Commission Meeting Room," said Lee.

"During the primary, the names of the Chairman and the Commissioners will be removed from the Commission Meeting Room," said Lee, in making the announcement on Thursday.

Royston had previously indicated Advance Voting would be conducted in the annex's training room, however, with limited waiting space, it was determined the meeing room, which has room for 120 to be seated, would be more practical and comfortable for voters.

For previous elections, sign-in tables for Advance Voting were placed in the lobby entrance near the Barrow County Health Department.

"Since the Chairman's Office adjoins the lobby area of the Commission Meeting Room, the Chairman has determined it is in the best interest of fairness that he not enter the Administrative Annex during the periods in which the general public will be casting ballots," said Lee.

When questioned, Lee did confirm that other candidates had questioned whether the incumbents would have an advantage if Advance Voting was held in the meeting room where commissioners' names are displayed at their seats.

Royston joins with Secretary of State Karen Handel in hopes that Georgians will again return to the polls in record numbers.

"Georgians voted in historic numbers," said Karen of the February Presidential Preference Primary. "Turnout in our state has been very low in past years, so it's a very positive sign that so many Georgians made the time to exercise one of our most important rights."

Originally published Sunday, June 29, 2008