St. Joseph County residents can offer their input at a series of public meetings regarding the county’s proposed changes from precinct voting to vote centers.
As we reported in an in-depth article on vote centers, the proposal would condense St. Joseph County’s 154 polling precincts into 40 separate vote centers. Whereas voters in the county currently have one specific polling location, the new proposal would allow voters to choose any of the county’s vote centers.
The concept began in Larimer County, Colorado in 2003 and was piloted in Cass, Tippecanoe and Wayne Counties in Indiana from 2007 until 2010. It has since expanded to 18 counties in Indiana, including Elkhart County.
The plan must first go through a series of public meetings before it can be adopted by the county’s election board. The public hearings provide voters with a chance to learn about the concept, ask questions and express their opinion.
Four meetings are currently scheduled. They will be held over the course of November and early December. The first meeting takes place today at 6 pm. Below is a full list of planned meetings:
Nov. 13 – 6:00 pm
Newton Center, 601 N. Michigan St., Lakeville
Nov. 18 – 6:00 pm
IUSB, 1700 W. Mishawaka Ave., South Bend
Nov. 25 – 6:00 pm
Charles Martin Youth Center, 802 Lincoln Way W., South Bend
Dec. 4 – 6:00 pm
Mishawaka Knights of Columbus, 114 W. 1st St., Mishawaka
Be sure to read our “Everything You Need to Know About Vote Centers” article for a detailed explanation of the concept.
————
