Carbon County officials have made some changes to voting precinct locations for the upcoming November election.

On Thursday, the county election board voted to adopt a resolution regarding the consolidation of applicable voting districts. The action is a result of the pandemic and available poll workers and is relative to this election only unless otherwise noted.

The resolution states that the board of elections “has determined it is in the best interest of public health, safety and welfare to consolidate polling places for the 2020 General Election.”

Districts and the temporary precincts are:

• Kidder Township north and East Side Borough: Golden Oaks Village, 3 Keystone Commons.

• Franklin Township Harrity, Long Run and Independent: Franklin Township Fire Company, 2440 Fairyland Road.

• Jim Thorpe first and second wards: Memorial Hall, East 10th Street.

• Jim Thorpe fourth and fifth wards: Diligent Fire Company, 330 Center Ave.

• Lehigh Township and Lausanne Township: Lehigh Township Municipal Building, 1741 South Lehigh Gorge Drive.

• Lehighton second and third wards: American Legion Post 314, 314 Veterans Ave.

• Mahoning Township Mahoning and Packerton/Jamestown: Orioles Community Center, 475 Orioles Drive.

• Palmerton middle and west: Palmerton Municipal Fire Company, 508 Fifth St.

The resolution adds that the public “is encouraged to use facial masks when attending all polling places in the 2020 General Election.”

In addition to the temporary changes, one permanent polling place change was also approved.

Towamensing North and South 1 will move from the township building to Towamensing Township Volunteer Fire Company, 105 Firehouse Road, Palmerton.

This location change has been approved by the township.

Reminders

• The election board also again reminded residents that anyone who applied for a mail-in or absentee ballot must have their completed ballot in the secrecy envelope they received, as well as in the return envelope and must sign it for the ballot to count.

Anyone who doesn’t sign their ballot where indicated or use the secrecy envelope will not be counted in the final election totals.

• Lisa Dart, elections director, also said that anyone who applied for an absentee or mail-in ballot and then decides to vote in person should either stop at her office as soon as possible with the ballot they received, not completed, or bring it with them to the polling place on Election Day and surrender it to the poll workers.

“Don’t rip up your ballot if you applied for mail-in and then decide to go to the polls,” she said.

• As of Thursday, there were 9,676 mail-in, absentee and overseas ballot applications.