City staff have proposed a series of consolidations and restructuring of a variety of our election precincts, to improve efficiency, address low voter turnout, and save both the city and Calhoun County money during future elections.
The city currently has 22 precincts, with costs of $1,236 per precinct, per election, for election programming, staff wages and training, supplies, polling location rental, and the Board of Canvassers. This doesn’t include all election costs, but those that will be reduced with consolidation.
The city’s Election Commission – comprised of the city clerk, attorney, and assessor – will meet at 9 a.m. next Wednesday, Dec. 27, in room 112 at City Hall, 10 N. Division St., to discuss the proposed changes, which follow.
Members of the public are invited and welcome to attend this meeting to provide comments and concerns, as well as the next City Commission meeting, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2. Those who cannot attend can email comments to PublicInput@battlecreekmi.gov.
The Election Commission is required by the state to finalize all precinct boundaries by Jan. 9, 2018 to be in effect for the May, August, and November 2018 elections.
Proposed consolidations:
Precinct 7 – Currently has 1,330 voters. Proposal to move 858 voters to Precinct 12 (Second Baptist Missionary Church), and 472 to Precinct 18 (Cherry Hill Manor). Precinct 7 votes at Trinity United Methodist Church.
The boundary lines around McCamly Street have been adjusted, affecting few voters.
Precinct 13 – Currently has 1,632 voters. Proposal to move all from Trinity United Methodist Church to Precinct 9 (Chapel Hill United Methodist Church).
Precinct 16 – Currently has 1,366 voters. Proposal to move 667 voters to Precinct 15, and 699 voters to Precinct 17. All three of these precincts vote at Emmett Street Missionary Church.
Precinct 19 – Currently has 1,154 voters. Proposal to move all to Precinct 1, and move the polling location for everyone currently at Precincts 1 and 19 to the more central location of Fire Station 1.
Proposed restructuring:
Precincts 4 and 10 – Proposal to move 561 voters from Precinct 10 to Precinct 4, to create a better balance of voters between the two, and better service to voters. These precincts both vote at Christ United Methodist Church.
Precinct 20 – This precinct serves four school districts. Proposal to move its 13 Harper Creek School District voters to Precinct 11, which also serves Harper Creek. This will reduce the number of ballot styles, and additional requirements, in Precinct 20. These precincts both vote at First Wesleyan Church.
View information about all of the city’s precincts, and other election information, at our website, battlecreekmi.gov/elections.