2A, Discussion with Ramsey County on Precincts and Polling Places for 2012 Elections

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Ramsey County Elections 90 West Plato Boulevard, Suite 160 Phone: 651.266.2171 Ramsey uniy P.O. Box 64098 Fax: 651.266.2177 St Paul, MN 55164-0098 Email: elections@co.ramsey.mn.us March 8, 2012 TO: Members of the Arden Hills City Council FROM: Joseph Mansky Ramsey County Elections Manager SUBJECT: DESIGNATION OF PRECINCTS AND POLLING PLACES I As you know, the special redistricting panel appointed by Chief Justice Gildea released its court order for the new legislative redistricting plan on February 21. That action now requires the City to reestablish its precincts and designate its polling places for the upcoming state elections. The deadline for establishment of precinct boundaries is April 3. The deadline for designating polling place locations is May 1. I have the following recommendations for council action. 1. Establish four precincts in the City. Three of the precincts would divide the City into three areas of almost equal population. The fourth precinct would be nested within the southernmost of the three larger precincts and would include the portion of the City that is located in Independent School District 623. The separate precinct for the City portion of ISD 623 would eliminate the potential voter confusion that arises whenever the school districts have either offices or questions on the ballot by eliminating the split precinct that currently exists. These two precincts would be identified as Precinct 1 (ISD 621) and Precinct 1a (ISD 623). 2. Establish a combined polling place for Precincts 1 and 1a. This would enable the City to assign a single set of election judges to administer the election for both precincts at a single location. 3. Locate all City polling places at the North Heights Lutheran Church on Highway 96. This facility has several advantages. It is centrally located,just down the street from City Hall and has easy access from both Highway 96 and Hamline Avenue. It is large enough to easily accommodate the all of the voters in the City. And it has extensive parking facilities. The City of Mounds View, which has 6,700 registered voters and has also established four precincts, has located all four of its polling places at a central location, namely the Mounds View Community Center, for over ten years. Their experience doing so has been uniformly positive, both from an administrative standpoint and from the voters' perspective. After meeting with Mounds View, they have told me that would have no reluctance recommending that we do the same in Arden Hills to serve our 6,100 voters. (Note: my office administers the