Pike County Administrator Harry Sanders was notified Wednesday that vandals had targeted the voting place at Ebenezer by breaking out windows, denting the building and rummaging the interior.

Tony Davenport, county maintenance technician, found the damage during routine work and reported it to Sanders.

“The voting place on Highway 223 is messed up pretty bad,” Sanders said. “Rocks were thrown at the building, knocking out the windows and denting the metal siding. It’s hard to understand why anybody would to anything like this. It’s country property so it belongs to them. Why destroy something that belongs to you? Just out of meanness?”

Sanders said the Pike County Sheriff’s Department has been notified and his hopes are that someone will come forth with information about the vandalism.

“The people of Pike County need to know what is being done to their property.”

Sanders said the voting place is a portable metal building that the country purchased for use as a voting place for the people of the Ebenezer community.

“The building has been made comfortable for those who work at the polls,” he said. “Districts 3 and 4 can vote at Ebenezer and that makes it convenient for people in that area. So it’s important to the people. And, it’s going to cost the county money to get the building repaired.”

Although the building is insured and the damage, in all probability, will be more than the deductible, Sanders said the county might not want to file a claim, rather assume the cost of the repairs.

“It’s going to be money thrown away,” he said. “Acts like this make you wonder if pouring money into this project is worth it. The Ebenezer voting place is in a rather isolated spot, making it prime place for vandalism. But there’s nothing there except a metal building. And it’s the property of the people of Pike County and a place of convenience for voters in that area.

“But, I worry about the people. We want to make it convenient for them to vote. Some voters would have difficulty getting to another polling location. We don’t want to have to close a voting place because of vandals.”

Sanders said the damage will be repaired because voting is important and the county wants to make it as convenient as possible for voters to get to the polls.

“Hopefully, whoever does things like this will realize the importance of the polling place and this will not happen again,’ he said.

Sanders said the vandalism to the voting place at Ebenezer has been reported to the Pike County Sheriff’s Department.

Pike County Russell Thomas said the damage to the 12×40-foot voting place is being investigated along with an act of vandalism to Pleasant Hill Church on County Road 4425 in Brundidge also reported on June 1.

“The front door to the church was kicked open and damage was done to the entertainment center where the computer system was kept,” Thomas said. “The computer was not taken. The damages to the church are estimated at around $800.”

Thomas said cash rewards will be given to anyone with information leading to the arrests and convictions of those responsible for these acts of vandalism.

Anyone with information about the vandalism of the voting place at Ebenezer and/or Pleasant Hill Church is asked to call the Pike County Sheriff’s Department at 566-4347.