When the Aug. 7 primary election rolls around, it appears some Oxford Township voters could find themselves casting their ballots at a new polling place.

“I have approval from the parks and rec. commission to move Precinct 6, which now votes at the library, out to Seymour Lake Park in the new community room,” said township Clerk Curtis Wright. “I just have to get it to the (township) board for our March 14 meeting to get it finalized. They still have to approve it.”

“Any time we can accommodate our residents in a facility that they fund, I think it’s a great idea,” said Parks/Rec. Department Director Ron Davis. “We’re excited to have them out here and showcase our park.”

Last year, the department transformed the park’s former maintenance building into new administrative offices with a multipurpose room for community use.

Geographically, Precinct 6 encompasses the whole west side of the township, from Stanton Rd. to Davison Lake Rd. It’s bordered by Baldwin Rd. to the west and extends eastward as far as M-24, but then cuts back to the west to Dunlap Rd. and heads south.

A total of 2,131 of Oxford’s 15,628 registered voters reside in Precinct 6.

“Once (the new polling place) gets approved – if it gets approved – we will send out new voter ID cards,” Wright said.

The clerk believes Seymour Lake Township Park is a better spot for the polling place.

“It will be really convenient for the voters because it’s right in that precinct where they live,” he explained. “We’re trying to streamline the process to make it as easy as possible (to vote in person).”

The current location, the Oxford Public Library, is not in Precinct 6. It’s located at 530 Pontiac Rd., just outside the village, next to Oxford Elementary.

Wright believes the new polling place could also help expose more people to the park and all it has to offer.

“They could vote and possibly utilize the park as well. They’re right there,” he said.

Davis agreed.

“It’s going to bring people into our park that normally wouldn’t be here,” he said. “Maybe someone’s here to vote and didn’t realize the community room was there and now, they can use that for a family function or something of that nature.”

Davis never shies away from opportunities to show people how their tax dollars are spent or utilized because “you never know what will come out of that.”

“Maybe some new program ideas or additional support or just suggestions,” he said. “We’re excited to have them.”

Wright noted he wants to keep the library as a backup polling place, just in case an emergency situation, such as a power outage, arises at one of the other sites that prevents its use on Election Day.

“I would like to have that available,” said Wright, because the number of places where voting can occur is “limited.”

According to the Michigan Bureau of Elections, whenever possible, a polling place must be located in a publicly-owned or controlled facility, such as a school, library, fire station or police station.

Also acceptable are buildings owned or controlled by nonprofit organizations exempt from federal income taxes, such as churches.