Voting Districts change with little fanfare

Approximately 700 registered voters would be impacted by changes to the county’s five voting districts. The change won’t take place in time for a June 21 primary as originally planned, though. Voter Registrar Traci Clark said that due to problems with the state Board of Elections computers, currently overwhelmed because of redistricting, would not allow for those changes to take place as early as planned.

The Supervisors held a public hearing on the new voting district boundaries, but no one spoke to the issue. Every 10 years, the county must realign its boundaries after the U.S. Census has completed its population county.

 Based on the 2020 US Census, each Botetourt County local election district should contain 6,723 persons. The county’s new districts create a maximum population deviation of less than 1 percent for all districts.

The options move the southern boundary between the Fincastle and Amsterdam Districts (Area A on accompanying map) from Catawba Creek southward to Blackberry Lane and Country Club Road, incorporating that area north of Blackberry Lane and County Club Road between Blacksburg Road and Catawba Creek that is currently in the Amsterdam District into the Fincastle District.

Additionally, the proposal moves the boundary between the Buchanan and Fincastle Districts, shifting an area between Interstate 81 and Brughs Mill Road and Ammen Road from the Amsterdam District to the Buchanan District.

The boundary between the Buchanan and Fincastle districts moves eastward to add to the Fincastle District the area between Salt Peter Cave Road, Shiloh Church Road, Shiloh Drive, and Narrow Passage Road.

Between the Buchanan and Valley Districts, the proposal shifts the boundary southward in two areas: 1) between Interstate 81 and US Route 11 from Gravel Hill Road to the Town of Troutville boundary; and 2) from the railway line between Stoney Battery Road and Houston Mines Road south to the boundary of the Appalachian Scenic Trail and west, generally to Stoney Battery Road and/or Stoney Battle Creek.

Following approval, the county registrar would mail out new voter registration cards to all registered voters. Clark noted this is because not only are some of the local voting districts changing, but the county’s state legislative districts changed as well.

–Amita Firebaugh, Special to the Botetourt Bee