The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners at its Aug. 3 meeting approved a purchase agreement for a facility on Lamar Haley Parkway that will give the Office of Elections and Voter Registration the space resources to comply with Senate Bill 202, according to a press release.

The new facility provides increased viewing areas, increased parking capability and increased storage. The county analyzed the expansion of existing facilities, construction of a new facility and purchase of an established facility as options. The most cost-effective solution to serve the needs of the Elections Office was to purchase the 3.15-acre parcel with the established 14,638-square-foot building for $1.575 million.

The purchase is an unfunded mandate in Senate Bill 202, which was passed in the last session of the Georgia General Assembly.