Politics & Government

County Shaves Election Expense by Axing Precincts

County Clerk Nancy Schultz Voots pushed for the change, approved by the board last week, eliminating 142 voting places.

Some Will County voters will get new polling places come election season, thanks to a unanimous county board vote that eliminates 142 precincts as part of a plan to save money.

Approved Thursday, the new precinct map slices Will County into 303 precincts, compared with the old 445-precinct map.

Will County Clerk Nancy Schultz Voots said she proposed the new map in a bid to save money on elections and make the size of precincts more consistent throughout the county.

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“There were some precincts in the Joliet area that maybe had 400 or 500 registered voters,” she said Thursday. “My goal is to make it consistent throughout the county.”

Now each precinct could have more than 1,200 voters.

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Voots estimates that the plan could save up to $200,000 per election, but said a cost study must be done to get a more exact number. The savings would come in the form of a reduced number of election judges, voting booths and man-hours by employees of the clerk’s office.

In some cases, the map splits subdivisions into different precincts or combines incorporated and unincorporated areas at the same polling location. According to Voots, however, election judges are prepared to help voters deal with the changes.

“My judges go through training,” she said, adding that emphasis is placed on making sure each voter is given the correct ballot.

“This isn’t anything new,” Voots added. “We’re just trying to make the [precinct] sizes more consistent."

According to Voots, along with cost savings, another reason behind the change was the uptick in early voting in Will County, which she said has already reduced long lines at the polls.

Asked whether there is a fear that the changes could lead to lower voter turnout, Voots said her office will work to make residents aware of the changes so they’re not surprised on Election Day.

“Every registered voter in Will County will get a new voter’s identification card come fall,” she said.

The card will list a voter's precinct, polling place and legislative voting districts, many of which have changed under the .

Also this fall, the clerk’s office will mail out customized voter information guides that include the same information, plus a list of all early-voting locations and a sample ballot.

“Each fall, before voting starts, every household will get a voter’s information guide,” Voots said. “We’ve been doing that for the last two or three elections.”

Voots said her Web site, www.thewillcountyclerk, will also be updated by the end of the day Friday with new the new precinct information.

Voters can click on “precinct lookup” and enter their address to find out whether their precinct and polling place have changed. They can also view a photo of their polling place and the parking lot so they’ll be prepared by the time Election Day arrives, Voots said.

To help avoid long lines at the polls, Voots said her office will send extra elections judges and voting booths to each polling place.


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