The Walker County Commission on Monday recognized Jasper’s West Side Baptist Church for its long-time service as a polling location.
“It’s just been a staple of the west Jasper area as a voting center for many years,” said district two Commissioner Jeff Burrough.
Teddy Jones was on hand to receive the recognition on behalf of the church.
“We were not expecting this, but it is certainly appreciated,” Jones said. “The pastor got the phone call but he had something going and asked me to come here this morning.”
Jones has been a member of West Side Baptist Church for 60 years. He is a deacon there as well as helping in other areas wherever he can.
Jerry Boyd, the pastor at Maranatha Baptist Church, helps West Side when it comes time to open up as a polling location. Jones said he is a big part of the reason the church has a smooth election cycle year and year.
“Jerry Boyd used to come to West Side before he started Maranatha,” Jones said. “He’s familiar enough with it and we’re familiar enough with him that they just go in and do it. We really don’t need a lot of prep time nor clean up time afterwards.”
Jones said that the church is part of the community and wants to continue to do whatever it can to help things in the community.
“All of our voting centers are important to us,” Burrough said of the county’s commitment to its polling locations. “It’s important that you have somewhere to go vote. We try to put them in every beat and in every district so that people don’t have to go very far to get to a voting center.”
