Two weeks before a primary that could determine their part of Rochester's representation in the county legislature, city council and school board, residents of the Browncroft neighborhood are learning of a change in their polling place.

For 50 years, the voting station had nearly always been Charles Carroll School No. 46 on Newcastle Road.

Ericka Wilson walked to school their when she was young. She cast her first vote 10 years ago and hasn't missed a chance to be heard at the ballot.

"It’s convenience, I guess, for me," Wilson said. "Yeah it’s nice. It’s a neighborhood place."

She and her neighbors will have to go an extra mile to be counted for the June 25th primary. Conflict with the last day of school has moved the Rochester school district to ask that election operations be moved from 46 to another venue.

Monroe County Board of Elections sent letters out this week to alert voters they will have to cast their ballot at St. John the Evangelist on Humboldt Street. 

"We are in this situation where this primary is probably talking about we are electing a city council representative. A major voting block has got their polling place potentially moving," said Jim Seitz, a resident of Dorchester Road."The older people— of which I am one of them— they’re going to be confused."

"What is it half a mile difference? Maybe a mile tops, big deal," David Isgro said. "But on the other hand, I’d like to kind of know the reason."

Democratic elections commissioner Tom Ferrarese said the last thing the BOE wants to do is move a polling place. He says it was requested by the school.

"It’s one of the last few days of school they don’t want a lot of activity in the building," Ferrarese said. "The hallways are going to be very busy and they don’t want a lot of outside traffic."

Some voters have raised question with the move out of the neighborhood and the district. St. John's The Evangilist stands in the 21st county legislature district, instead of the 23rd; home to School No. 46. 

"We needed to put in a site that is accessible and people could get to, park at, that kind of thing, and so that was why the move was made."

Residents say they received a BOE notice in May that their polling place would remain School No. 46. However, the board's website confirms the polling site change to Humboldt Street.

"What about people without computers who are not as adept at finding out this sort of information?" Seitz said. "This is an important election."

Ferrarese said all registered voters will receive a letter in the mail confirming the change to St. John The Evangelist by Wednesday.

"Everybody will be notified," Ferrarese said. "Plus, at School 46, there'll be signs directing people to the new site."