Wood County officials discuss changes to voting locations
Fairplains Elementary, Van Devender Middle School closures prompt moves
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PARKERSBURG -- The county is moving two voting locations as the schools which traditionally housed them will be closed at the end of this school year and would no longer be available by the time of the May 2026 primary.
Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzales and Deputy Clerk Alisha Cross appeared before the Wood County Commission on Monday to get approval on moving some voting precincts due to the impending school closures of Fairplains Elementary and Van Devender Middle School.
Gonzales is asking to move precincts 71/71U and 75, which voted at Fairplains Elementary School, to Martin Elementary School, located at 1301 Hillcrest St. He is also asking precinct 34A, which voted at Van Devender Middle School, to be moved to the Jack Stephens Gym at Parkersburg High School behind the fieldhouse, located at 2101 Dudley Ave., Parkersburg.
"These will both be permanent moves, starting with the Statewide Primary Election to be held May 12, 2026," Gonzales said, adding voters will be notified of these changes by mail.
"Both these locations are (Americans With Disabilities) compliant," Gonzales added. "We have spoken to Wood County Schools and they are accommodating us for the elections to use both locations.
"I think both locations will be good for the voters."
Both locations have ample parking, he said.
Wood County Schools is consolidating schools with plans to tear down Van Devender Middle School as well as the former Lincoln School building, which is being used for storage, in order to build a new elementary center.
"Martin has ample parking and has more than Fairplains," Gonzales said. "I think it is going to be better."
The distance between Fairplains and Martin is less than half a mile, Cross said.
Gonzales said there will be around 1,200 people they will have to notify for the move from Fairplains to Martin and around 1,100 who will be notified about the change from Van Devender to the Jack Stephens Gym.
If Van Devender is still standing by the time of the next primary election they will post signs at the building informing voters of the change, he said. Wood County Schools officials said there was no immediate plans to tear down Fairplains and Gonzales said signs would be posted there as well around the time of the May 2026 primary.
The commission unanimously approved the precinct moves.
In other business, the commission approved putting a demolition job out to bid for the demolition of a structure at 1125 Kesterson Road.
Wood County Compliance Officer Levi Brady got a complaint about a structure, a dilapidated double-wide trailer. It was not being used as a home anymore and was in rough shape. He contacted the owners, talked about it and realized the property would qualify for removal under some of the dilapidated property cleanup grant money the county gets from the state.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com