New voting districts approved by BOS

New voting districts for Botetourt County passed without comment at the Tuesday, April 26, 2022 meeting.

The changes impact approximately 700 registered voters. Based on the 2020 US Census, each Botetourt County local election district should contain 6,723 persons or be within a deviation of plus or minus 5 percent of that number.

The changes do not affect polling places and creates a maximum population deviation of less than 1 percent for all districts.

The new voting districts 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 boundary between the Buchanan and Fincastle Districts shifted in 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 moved 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 new voting districts shift 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).

Now that the districts have been approved, the county registrar will be mailing out new voter registration cards

                                                                           — Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt Bee