Elections officials may scrap plans to consolidate polling locations in Belmont County, citing the possibility of disenfranchising voters.

Consolidation was proposed in an effort to meet requirements of the American With Disabilities Act and state accessibility regulations. In December, the board had discussed cutting the number of polling locations from 50 to eight. On Wednesday, though, members of the Belmont County Board of Elections said this would require some residents to drive more than 20 miles to vote.

''I feel we need to do everything possible because I do not want to have to move people and cause them to have a 24- or 25-mile drive each way,'' said member Carl Lehman.

Some locations previously discussed that would meet the requirements included the Carnes Center at the new fair grounds outside St. Clairsville, the Social Hall (formerly Hilltop School) outside Martins Ferry, the Ohio Valley Mall, Bridgeport High School, South School in Martins Ferry and Bellaire Middle School in Neffs. The two voting locations in St. Clairsville, the J. B. Martin Center and Thoburn United Methodist Church, would remain polling locations, according to the plan. The board also was considering a clinic and former Army Reserve building, both in Bellaire.

Director Bill Shubat announced he had contacted Brett Harbage, ADA coordinator for the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, who said waivers could be granted for some locations and that other locations could be made 100 percent compliant with the regulations.

According to Deputy Director Kelli McCabe, there had been no complaints from voters regarding accessibility to polling locations.

Members of the board Wednesday said reducing the number of polling locations would disenfranchise more voters than it is intended to help.

''We are impeding the average voter from going to their precinct and voting ... ,'' Carnes said. ''There has to be some common sense and that's what we've always used in the past, and I am going to have I rough time - I cannot vote at this time to move (the voting locations)."