Last month, 6 News mentioned the possibility of nearly 40 polling places in Cambria County closing down.

It's a plan that's been in the works for about a year now. With declining population and several precincts close to others, it makes sense for some but could be an inconvenience for others. 

"Why does the county have two or three voting precincts into the same building?" said Cambria County Commissioner and board of elections member Douglas Lengenfelder. "Is there a smarter way to do this?"

Each of the 165 polls in Cambria County costs about $1,100. Officials said by turning 76 precincts into just 38, the county could save a lot of money. 

"If you were to take all of those, the savings would be somewhere around $80,000 a year," said Lengenfelder. 

But the idea was met with opposition at a hearing held Friday. 

"Everyone from one area will have to drive to the other," said Diane Waksmunski, who lives in Susquehanna Township. 

With only about 600 registered voters, between its two precincts in the county, they're one of the proposed areas to consolidate. 

"We are 27.7 square miles, so some people will have to travel as far as 12 miles," said Waksmnski. "That will double their traveling distance now if they pick one of the two polls. There is no centrally located poll." 

"There has to be a happy medium," said Democratic Party chairman Heath Long. "I understand that some can be consolidated and some should be, and maybe we'll get some savings out of that, but you can do it out of the sense of democracy." 

Many argued that consolidation takes away from voting convenience, especially for the elderly, who make up about 35 percent of Cambria County's population. 

"You have to allow for those folks to have access, because if you don't, they're not going to be able to get there to vote," said Long. 

The election board, however, did not agree. 

"Would that discourage somebody from voting? I would certainly hope not," said Lengenfelder. 

Three Cambria County judges heard the proposition Friday. They could vote on closing all, some or none of the precincts. There has been no word on when their decision will be made.