Mar 18, 2026 By Mike Jones 3 min read

Washington County elections officials are planning to downsize the number of voting precincts in the county due to population changes, poll worker shortages and overall costs.

The county submitted a petition Friday to Washington County Court of Common Pleas asking for approval to reduce its total precincts from 180 down to 156 just two months before the primary election on May 19.

The proposed changes would affect 14 municipalities, nearly half of which are located in the Mon Valley, which has experienced a steady population decline over the past few decades.

“It is important to evaluate these changes as we see some polling locations struggling to handle voter traffic while others are barely used,” said commission Chairman Nick Sherman, who also chairs the county’s elections board. “The Mon Valley was once one of the most populated and active areas, but now there are too many polling locations that are difficult to staff. This allows us to save county resources yet still provide people (with) physical locations to vote in their neighborhoods.”

The affected communities are California, Charleroi, Cross Creek Township, Donora, Fallowfield Township, Independence Township, Monongahela, Mount Pleasant Township, Peters Township, Robinson Township, Smith Township, Union Township, Washington and West Finley Township.

The proposal would combine or reduce precincts for some communities, while in others it would keep the same number of polling places but merely shift the precinct boundaries. A full list of the proposed precinct changes for each individual municipality can be found on the county elections office’s website at www.washingtoncopa.gov/elections.

Washington County Elections Director Melanie Ostrander said other reasons for the changes are due to accessibility to polling places, including some that are not compliant with the American with Disabilities Act. Ostrander added that some of these voting locations already host multiple precincts, meaning voters might experience few changes on Election Day.

“In several cases, the precincts we are proposing to consolidate already share the same physical location, so combining them will improve efficiency by reducing the amount of equipment and the number of poll workers required,” Ostrander said.

County Commissioner Electra Janis noted that Peters Township increased in population following the 2020 census, but only in certain areas, which prompted the municipality to redraw its wards to offer more “fair and equal representation” for constituents.

“It is common for population shifts to require adjustments to election districts,” Janis said.

“For example, Peters Township population grew in the most recent census, but only in certain wards. As a result, the township redrew its ward lines to maintain fair and equal representation, which required corresponding changes to some voting locations as part of this plan.”

Commissioner Larry Maggi said there have been various changes in polling locations and voter patterns throughout the years, including the most recent update in 2017, when more precincts were added in North Strabane, South Strabane and Cecil townships.

“Recently, the county has experienced changes in where people live and vote, and our elections department has found it increasingly difficult to get poll workers to conduct elections in some of these areas,” Maggi said. “Because of this, it became necessary to make these changes.”

A hearing will be held at the Washington County Courthouse in Courtroom No. 6 at 1:15 p.m. March 26, when Judge Michael Lucas will listen to arguments and decide whether the proposed changes should proceed. Anyone opposed to the proposed changes must file their objections at the Washington County prothonotary’s office prior to the hearing.