The Great Neck Library is preparing for its upcoming library election on Oct. 30, but this year’s electoral process faces a unique challenge.

Due to ongoing renovations at the Parkville branch, the library will be down one polling location, leading officials to troubleshoot and devise a solution during the latest July 18 board meeting.

With the goal of avoiding potential overcrowding and ensuring a smooth voting process, library trustees actively deliberated Tuesday night to secure a third voting location.

Thousands of voters were at risk of flocking to the main library or Lakeville branch, which could have created logistical challenges and left some residents missing the opportunity to cast their votes.

At the board meeting, the proposed alternative voting locations were thoroughly examined and more may be explored. Among the options considered were Great Neck Village Hall, Great Neck Plaza, and the Great Neck Plaza fire station.

While these locations provided viable alternatives, discussions on using the gyms in local schools were met by the district with concerns about displacing students during the day and affecting their participation in physical education classes.

One of the primary challenges faced by library officials was ensuring timely and accurate notification to voters regarding their new polling location.

The library’s data systems needed to be updated to determine which voters should go to each specific voting site.

Additionally, with the possibility of more individuals registering to vote, identifying these new voters and notifying them of their designated polling location added complexity to the process.

Despite these obstacles, the board of trustees successfully passed a few voting specific resolutions, such as approving village hall as a possible location and overall approving the use of a third voting location.

However, the exact site is yet to be finalized and announced. The library officials need to notify voters at least 30 days in advance, ensuring that there’s enough time for voters to adjust their plans and avoid any confusion or inconvenience on election day.

Liman Mimi Hu, a trustee, spoke on the importance of providing sufficient notice to the entire community. “I want to make sure that there’s going to be adequate notice to the entire community. So, there’s no conspiracy theory about a last-minute change. People don’t know where voting their voting location is,” she said.