Two precincts to be eliminated in Fraser

FRASER — On April 10, the Fraser City Council voted 7-0 to change an ordinance to consolidate voting precincts.

Fraser City Manager Elaine Leven said state law allows the city to do that. She said the number of precincts would be consolidated from seven to five.

“This is something that will be beneficial in the cost savings to the city,” Leven said.

One voting location will also be moved from Fraser City Hall to Fraser High School.

“Also part of this, the rationale is that we have early voting and so many other options for people that we don’t have as big of turnout at election or at the polls during Election Day,” Leven said.

Fraser City Clerk August Gitschlag said this will be good for the city. He also said the Fraser Election Commission looked over maps.

Gitschlag said in an interview that the precincts being eliminated are what were precinct No. 7 and No. 5. The former Precinct 7, in the north of the city, will be combined with the former Precinct 1 in the northeast, becoming the new Precinct 1, which will vote at the high school. The former Precinct 6, in the northwest of the city, will be the new Precinct 5, voting at the Senior Activity Center.

The old Precinct 5 has been merged with Precinct 2 into the new Precinct 2, which will vote at Edison Elementary School. The old precincts 3 and 4 stay roughly the same.

At press time, precinct maps had not yet been updated at Fraser’s official website, ci.fraser.mi.us; however, the updated maps were available in the agenda packet for the April 10 council meeting.

“And that’ll open up City Hall for our absentee counting board to work here in a good space,” Gitschlag said.

He went on to say that precinct No. 5 had only around 870 people in it and the threshold is 4,999.

Fraser residents will get postcards in the mail informing them of the new locations and precinct changes.

Signage will appear on the doors closer to the election in November telling residents where they should vote.

Gitschlag said this usually happens after a big election. Communities take count of how many voters go in person and how many vote by absentee ballot.

“All these communities around here are consolidating now,” Gitschlag said. “They see what their turnout numbers are like.”

The new precincts will go into effect for the November election.