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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Clerk's Office doesn't expect a significant cost savings from a plan to consolidate voting precincts.
Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes said the move is designed to cut down on confusion at the polls and streamline the process.
''Even though we would be reducing the number of precincts, we are still going to need the same amount of poll workers, because you still have the same number of voters,'' Rhodes said.
Rhodes and deputy clerk Melody Ross appeared before the Wood County Commission Monday on a proposal to reduce precincts from 69 to 38.
Rhodes said a supply commissioner would probably end up being cut.
The county recently purchased new voting machines. Rhodes said the canvassing process should go quicker with fewer voting precincts.
''Afterward it will be a little easier,'' Rhodes said.
Wood County Commission President Blair Couch said county officials have talked in the past about consolidating voting precincts.
''We think that it is right and just to do so,'' he said. ''The number of people you would have running around trying to help precincts, they will have a lot less running to do.''
Even without a significant cost savings, Couch said the move will better serve the voters.
''A reduction to 38 is right and just,'' Couch said. ''The proof will be in the execution of a well-run election in 2020.''
The plan consolidates precincts in groups of two to four into one or two precincts. Each precinct is allowed a maximum of 3,000 people.
Various precincts will still be voting at a single site.
One proposal has Precincts 8 (727 voters), 16 (697 voters) and 33 (317 voters) being consolidated from the Parkersburg City Building, the 16th Street Fire Station and Beechwood Presbyterian Church to the Parkersburg City Building. The consolidated precinct would have 1,741 voters.
Another would combine precincts 29 (1,139 voters) and 19 (1,129 voters) at Parkersburg High School and Emmanuel Baptist Church to PHS. The consolidated precinct would have 2,268 voters.
Four precincts 86 (776 voters), 87 (587 voters), 88 (760 voters) and 89 (861 voters), which all vote at Mineral Wells Elementary, would be combined into two precincts of 1,363 voters and 1,621 voters.
Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said having early voting has helped local precincts better manage their numbers on Election Day and hopefully get people through in a more timely manner.
''A lot of the load is taken off,'' he said.
Early voting has contributed to the over 25 percent of voter turnout, Rhodes said.
Rhodes said the planning for precinct consolidation is still being worked through. He wants public input, input from the executive committees of the local Democratic and Republican parties and the League of Women Voters, among others.
The initial plan will be put on the Wood County website for people to view.
Couch said the commission would like a demonstration of the new voting machines. Public demonstrations are also being planned, officials said.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com