Olive Branch board considers city polling location and ward changes

Tuesday, Nov. 5 is Election Day, but it’s also meeting day for the Olive Branch Board of Aldermen, which will meet in regular session at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Court building. 

One item on the agenda won’t affect that day’s presidential election, but if passed will affect where voters will go to cast ballots in next year’s municipal election.

City fire stations have been used in the past as municipal polling locations, but with limited parking space, aldermen are moving to relocate the ballot boxes to churches some wards of the city. The churches are being paid $500 each to serve as polling locations for municipal elections, including the 2025 vote on the first Tuesday in June.  Other changes are being made for polling locations in the other wards of Olive Branch, as well. 

Mayor Ken Adams tells DeSoto County News the board will hear public comments at the Nov. 5 meeting on the polling location changes for city elections, but also on a minor expansion of Ward 5.  

“Ward 5 is being expanded to accommodate land that was added as result of a landowner requesting Chancery Court to allow the land to be included in the incorporated area of Olive Branch,” Adams said. “There are no homes existing or residents currently living on the land that was included.”

The ward expansion must go through a public hearing and the first hearing on the changes will take place on Nov. 5. 

Adams assured residents the public hearing will be at the end of the meeting that evening to allow residents to come and speak on the issue and not worry about being unable to vote on election night. 

Written comments are also being accepted by mail to the City Clerk’s office or emailed to info@obms.us. 

Interested residents can view the proposed change at the city’s planning and zoning office inside City Hall during business hours.  Ward 5 is the only one that is expanded, Adams said.  

A second hearing on the proposal will be held at the board’s Nov. 19 meeting before action is taken.

Following is the list of current and future ballot locations for Olive Branch municipal elections only.