The Alcorn County Election Commission has begun preparations to move two voting precincts, a change that will be necessary with the anticipated closing of the East Corinth Elementary and West Corinth Elementary school campuses later this year.

The move probably will not take effect until 2011, which will be an election year for all county offices, but election officials are working now to secure new voting locations.

“It is a long process getting a precinct changed, and that’s the reason we’re starting early,” said Circuit Clerk Joe Caldwell.

The election commission will make recommendations of new locations for the two precincts to the Board of Supervisors. With their approval, the proposals will then go to the United States Department of Justice.

West Corinth is a smaller precinct with both city and county voters. East Corinth is a larger city precinct that saw 1,258 votes in the last presidential election.

Election commissioners have narrowed down the possible new precinct locations, but their recommendations are not yet finalized.

If the vacated school campuses don’t have electricity later in the year, it could affect this year’s elections, but Caldwell does not expect that to be the case.

These are the last two voting precincts still located on school campuses, and Caldwell said election officials are in favor of moving away from school campuses.

“It really is a safety hazard having it at the schools,” he said.

The two campuses, along with South Corinth, will close with the opening of the new Corinth Elementary School on Droke Road.

Residents will vote at the county precincts during the congressional primary in June and the November general election, which also includes two county school board and some judicial races. Corinth’s municipal elections do not involve the county precincts and are unaffected by the upcoming changes.