The Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections was informed in January 2026 that the polling place for voters in Precinct 8A – currently Gaines Elementary School located at 900 Gaines School Road, Athens, GA 30605 – will not be available for the upcoming spring election dates due to construction at the polling place. 

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-265, the Board of Elections proposes a temporary change to the Election Day polling place for voters in Precinct 8A for the May 19, 2026, General Primary and June 16, 2026, General Primary Runoff.

At their February 10, 2026, regularly scheduled meeting, the Board of Elections unanimously voted to approve the temporary relocation of the 8A polling place to the neighboring Hilsman Middle School, located at 870 Gaines School Road, Athens, GA 30605.

Athens-Clarke County voting districts and precincts will not change as part of this process, only the polling place at which voters in Precinct 8A will vote if they vote in-person on Election Day. 

All voters affected by this change will be issued a new precinct card in the mail with the updated polling location, pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-226(e). Signs will also be placed in the required locations for election days.

Voters can provide public input regarding the changes by submitting written public input onlinethrough the Board of Elections online comment form or at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Elections on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at the Athens-Clarke County Facilities and Landscape Building, 2555 Lexington Road in Athens, at 4:30 PM. Comments on the proposed change may also be made in writing to the Athens-Clarke County Elections Department, PO Box 1828, Athens, GA 30603. 

For additional information, contact the Athens-Clarke County Elections Department at 155 E Washington Street, Athens, GA 30601, by calling 706-613-3150, or by visiting www.accgov.com/elections.