There will be only one precinct going forward
By Barb Pert Templeton
Algonac voters have a new place to cast their ballots and everybody will be doing so in the same new location, the Algonac Activity Center off St. Clair Boulevard.
The decision to change the voting location and eliminate a precinct, securing just one place for everybody, was unanimously approved by the Algonac City Council on July 15.
In a memo to officials in the meeting packet, City Clerk Lisa Borgacz explained the reasons behind changing the location and consolidating the voting precincts in the city.
She described the Algonac Activity Center as a “prominent, publicly-owned building” that can accommodate voting for elections of any size. In addition, the building will be able to provide added security and handicap accessibility plus be a place to store all the voting equipment.
“This will save time and resources when setting up and taking down equipment for elections and when additional items are needed on election day, all the equipment will be readily available,” Borgacz wrote.
Previously voters had cast their ballots at the St. Catherine’s Activity Center and since the new Algonac Activity Center is just one building over, re-locating for voters should be simple.
The clerk further noted that Michigan Election Law allows precincts to be consolidated if the precincts don’t exceed 5,000 registered voters. Algonac currently has 3,551 registered voters and among those are 743 voters on the Permanent Ballot List and 282 are on the Permanent Absent Voter List making 1,025 voters voting by absent voter ballot.
The Algonac City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m.
In addition, the establishment of the Early Voting Precinct in 2024 had over 1,000 Algonac electors voting early in November. So now, consolidating the precincts into just one will save on costs, equipment needed, time in testing and setting up the equipment and then time spent disassembling the precinct, Borgacz wrote.
She also noted that new voter identification cards noting the change in voting location will be mailed out to all electors in the city. There will also be signs posted at the old voting location directing voters to the new location on voting day.
During the council meeting where the change was approved several officials committed on the plan.
“I think it’s going to be able to make your life a little bit easier to take the equipment from one room and putting into another room,” Mayor Rocky Gillis said.
“It makes sense,” Councilwoman Cathy Harris added.
Gillis said it may sound silly but he remembers when he first started voting that he was nervous about which precinct he was to vote in.
To get additional information about the new voting precinct Blue Water Healthy Living contacted the city clerk via email to pose a few questions about the change.
Blue Water Healthy Living: Does the change mean the city will need fewer poll workers for elections?
Algonac City Clerk Lisa Borgacz: Yes, we will need less workers per election. It also increases my pool of workers, and will allow me to continue to use all the workers I currently have. This will also give us more flexibility.
BWHL: In what area of the new Algonac Activity Center will the voting be placed?
Borgacz: The precinct will be located in the gym. The gym will be used for a wide-variety of activities otherwise.
BWHL: You note that the request is being made in order to apply for an ADA Infrastructure Grant – isn’t the center already ADA compliant – what might the grant money be used for if it’s won?
Borgacz: The Activity Center is ADA compliant, but still has room for accessibility improvements. The grant will help with the installation of automatic doors, threshold ramps, designated parking spaces, etc., at no cost to the city.
BWHL: Since new voter ID cards will be issued and will note the new polling place will they go to all 3,551 registered voters in the city?
Borgacz: Yes, new voter id cards will be mailed to all 3,551 registered voters.
BWHL: Will the city incur costs to print and send out those new voter IDs? Will those proceeds come from the general fund?
Borgacz: The cost will be under $1,000 and has been budgeted for in the Elections budget. The city will save more than $1,000 in costs for equipment, transport, testing, supplies, and election inspectors with this consolidation of precincts. The new location will provide greater security, and is still centrally located (just one building over from the current location).
The Algonac Activity Center is located at 1216 St. Clair Blvd.
