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County officials decide to change voting districts for 2008 elections

By LeAnn Eckroth, Senior Staff Writer
Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 1:03 PM CST


Safety concerns and policies have prompted county officials to blend five city voting districts into one polling site for the June 2008 city election/county primary.

The Williams County Commission approved the sites at its Tuesday board meeting.

Voting officials pondered doing the same for the November 2008 general election.

Williams County Auditor Beth Innis announced at Tuesday's County Commission meeting that voters of Precincts 59, 60, 73, 74 and 76 will all vote at the Raymond Family Community Center instead of the area school sites as they have in the past.

Precinct 48 voters (Williston and Judson Townships) will cast their ballot at the Ernie French Center instead of the Trinity Christian School. Precinct 43 residents will vote at the REC Building, Precinct 45 votes at the West Prairie Lutheran Church, Precinct 53 votes at Beaver Creek Lutheran Church, Precinct 55 votes at Trenton Township Hall, Precinct 62 will vote at Epping City Hall, Precinct 63 votes at Ray City Hall, Precinct 64 will poll at the Tioga Senior Citizens Center, Precinct 65 votes at the Wildrose Senior Citizens Center and Precinct 67 will vote at the Grenora Senior Citizens Center.

"I talked to City Auditor John Kautzman, and he said we can try and have it at the Raymond Center. I am kind of concerned about using the schools. Now, they locked down some of the schools for Homeland Security and other issues, I don't want to jeopardize our children," Innis said.

She described the Raymond Center as a joint polling location.

"There will be poll books when you first come in, and you'll sign into the poll book," Innis said. "You'll get a receipt when you're done. You take the receipt over to the judges. The judges will get the ballot that corresponds to the receipt that you give them, and the inspector will initial it, and then you go anyplace in the Raymond Center where you have the blue booths. You go to any of those blue booths, they'll take your ballot when you're done voting and you'll put it in that M100 scanning machine."

She said one scanning machine system's computer cards can determine which precinct to credit your votes to.

"Every (precinct) in Williston will be at the Raymond Family Community Center," Innis said.

City and school officials favored the new direction.

"It worked well at having it at the library and having it at the Raymond for our special elections," Williston City Auditor John Kautzman said. "I think it will work well."

"We're supportive of the county's decision," Sharon Scott, assistant superintendent of schools said.

County positions up for June primary elections include commission seats held by Dan Kalil, for District 2 and and David Montgomery for District 4 of Williams County.

Other posts to be voted on include director of Garrison Diversion Conservancy District, the Northwest Judgeship No. 1, and Northwest Judgeship No. 4.

Seats open for the June Williston city election are four-year commission seats that are currently held by Commissioners Brad Bekkedahl and Frank Underhill.

Williston Park Board positions to be voted on will be seats currently held by Larry Grondahl, Darcy Collings and Dave Slette.

Williston Public School District 1 Board seats, currently filled by Daryl Pederson and Cathy Howe Schmitz's also will be on June's ballot.
 

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