The Beaufort County Board of Elections has little choice but to consider dissolving the Hunter’s Bridge precinct in north-central Beaufort County.

The precinct’s polling place was destroyed last year in an apparent arson, and attempts to locate a new polling place that would comply with state and federal law have been unsuccessful.

As of Monday, it appeared the board would have to take steps toward dividing Hunter’s Bridge and its 756 registered voters between two neighboring precincts, steps that could be taken well before this year’s general election Nov. 6.

But there are at least a couple of options that may end up on the table as the board considers its next move. We’re told local elections officials had phone calls Tuesday morning advising them of prospective polling-place locations within the existing precinct.

These options may be discussed during a public hearing the board has called for 7 p.m. Feb. 21 at the county’s elections offices, 1308 Highland Drive, Washington.

If you’re a Hunter’s Bridge voter, this hearing will be your chance to make your views known about the possible dissolution of this precinct, one of 21 precincts in the county.

Next to voting on Election Day, we can’t think of a more important duty for a voter than showing up to share in solution-finding to what had seemed to be an insurmountable problem — a problem that still could lead to the evaporation of a precinct, without meaningful public participation.