Costs force counties to look at voting precincts
04/17/2005
opinion    The Daily Nonpareil 

Some counties may reduce the number of voting precincts in response to the federal mandate that will force them to buy new voting equipment.

"At a cost of about $10,000 per precinct it is definitely a money issue," said Shelby County Auditor Marsha Carter. The Shelby County Board of Supervisors will hold its first reading of an ordinance to reduce its precincts on Tuesday.

Cass County is also looking at cutting back on its 17 precincts, according to Auditor Dale Sunderman.

"I think most counties are looking at this issue," he said.

Congress passed the 2002 Help America Vote Act in response to the 2000 Bush-Gore presidential election, where some Florida voting machines were called into question. HAVA requires voter registration and voting system changes that will require most counties to buy additional machines, including ones that allow blind people to vote without assistance.

Cass County is still in the discussion stages but the issue is on the board of supervisors' agenda.

HAVA did appropriate some funding to help with the changes, but not enough to cover all of some counties' costs.

Sunderman estimates the changes will cost his county between $180,000 and $200,000, if the current precincts are maintained.

"We received $105,833 (from the federal money)," he said.

Carter said Shelby County's allotment is $98,000. The county has budgeted additional money if needed. "But we have a lot of other uses for it if we don't have to spend it on voting machines," she said.

Carter said voting is the only issue that will be affected by the change.

Under the proposed Shelby County plan the number of precincts would be reduced from 16 to nine. Harlan would retain its four polling places.

"It will mean some people will have to drive farther to vote," she said.

She said for example, if approved, Westphalia voters will have to travel to Earling to cast ballots.

"But people can always vote absentee," Carter said.

She said the county publishes its ballot in the newspaper, one option for those who don't want to go to the polls on election day.

Sunderman said he is not certain how Cass County will realign its precincts, if the decision is made to proceed.

He said one possibility would be to have all of Atlantic's six precincts vote in one location. But, he's received an opinion from the Iowa Secretary of State's Office that may negate that option, Sunderman said. That opinion states that the board of supervisors does not have the authority to change any precincts established by ordinance of a city council and city councils do not have the authority to make changes in their precincts to save election costs.