Wolftown and Graves Mill voters will cast their ballots at a new location this year.
On Tuesday, Madison County Supervisors held a public hearing to receive comments regarding two polling changes–relocating the Wolftown precinct from Rapidan Baptist Church to Rose Park United Methodist Church and combining the Graves Mill precinct with Wolftown, relocating those registered voters to Rose Park. It was that second change that drew public scrutiny.
Philip Sterbling, council president of the Graves Chapel which serves as the Graves Mill polling location, submitted a letter opposing the consolidation. He said closing the precinct would be another step toward erasing the area as an independent community, similar to the previous closure of the Graves Mill Post Office. Sterbling submitted a petition with more than 40 signatures opposing the precinct change.
Mitch Bernstein said a similar measure was already considered three years earlier, but was unanimously rejected by the board of supervisors. He said the concerns then were the same as now–cultural significance. He said the costs of operating the precinct are minimal compared to its historical significance. Graves Mill was a precinct when the first voting occurred in Virginia.
According to Thomas Graves descendant Doug Graves, a voting booth was located on the second floor of the Graves Mill Grist Mill, which was constructed in the last quarter of the 18th century, making the precinct older than Madison County itself. He asked that the tradition remain in place, especially with the 250th signing of the Declaration of Independence approaching.
Gregory Wuestenhagen also voiced his support for the Graves Mill precinct.
“I do not believe we should sacrifice representation for efficiency,” he said. “I have known folks in that community for a long time. I feel like they should be represented by keeping that precinct alive. It’s part of the cultural heritage and identity.”
Registrar Lauren Eanes said she was not trying to single out Graves Mill, but felt it was her responsibility as a county employee to bring information forward regarding the cost of voting. She said the cost for Election Day voting at Graves Mill was $58 per vote, increasing to $98 per vote for the June primary. She said the next closest precinct cost-wise was Etlan which was less than half the cost of Graves Mill. When the idea to close the precinct was discussed years ago it was due to low numbers and the population of voters. Now, she said, the major difference is the need to purchase new equipment is coming. She said the voting equipment will be 10 years old in 2027 which is its end of life, providing the state doesn’t decertify it sooner. Scanners are $10,000 each, with the total coming to $20,000 with a touch writer and $24,000 when adding the two iPads used per precinct, meaning a cost of $24,000 per precinct.
The numbers of voters at Graves Mill are also low, Eanes said. She said of the 91 registered voters in last year’s election, 38 voted at the precinct on Election Day while 34 opted to vote early at the registrar’s office.
“We love the precinct, we have great workers there and are so thankful for them, but as a county employee it’s my job to bring it up,” she said.
Supervisor Jim Jewett said one of the main concerns with closing the Graves Mill precinct three years ago was the possible disenfranchisement of voters, which he said doesn’t exist anymore with the numbers voting early and the ease of obtaining a paper ballot by mail.
“The other argument is we’re trying to close a $2 million budget deficit and will more than likely have to raise taxes,” he said. “Every dollar counts this year.”
Supervisor Carty Yowell said the precinct doesn’t define the area. He said when the grist mill closed the community didn’t lose its identity and the historic value of Graves Mill won’t be lost with the closure of the voting precinct either.
Chairman Clay Jackson agreed.
“The identity of Graves Mill is not voting two or three times per year,” he said. “This will keep circling around and around. It’s just a matter of time; either we do it now or later. We can rip the band-aid off or pull it real, real slow and we can all agonize over it together.”
Supervisor Jud Buchanan had a different take.
“I think rich history, tradition and culture identification with a certain spot is important to me, I can feel it’s important to those who live in Graves Mill,” he said. “It’s not very much money. I would vote to keep it there for the next year or two unless things change.”
Ultimately, the board didn’t agree. Supervisors voted 4-1 to consolidate the Graves Mill precinct with the Wolftown precinct and relocate voting in Wolftown to Rose Park United Methodist Church. Buchanan cast the dissenting vote.
