The Jefferson County Election Commission will consider consolidating some polling sites and creating vote centers when it meets tonight in Pine Bluff.
Commissioner Stu Soffer said Monday that the group will consider the measures as a way of reducing costs. As many as 10 of the county’s 39 polling places could be considered for consolidation, he said.
Soffer said the average cost to the county per vote during the 2018 general election was $6.50, but it was significantly higher at polling sites that saw light turnout.
“We had 49 voters at the Swan Lake polling site, which cost the county $29 per vote, based on the cost of $1,421 to operate a low-volume voting site,” Soffer said. “At Linwood/Moscow, we had 82 voters and it cost $17 per vote. At Sherrill, where we had 88 voters, it cost $16 per vote.”
Soffer said the county is in the process of purchasing new voting equipment that will incur an add-on licensing fee.
“If we continue to operate 39 polling places, the add-on fee in 2020 will be $32,800. But if we reduce that by 10 polling places, that goes down by $5,000 because we need less equipment,” he said.
Soffer added that the county has 250 poll workers but would be able to reduce that number by 50 with the reduction of 10 polling sites. He said that will give the county a significant savings with the state minimum wage set to increase to $10 an hour next year.
Utilizing vote centers is a trend, Soffer said, but any change will have to be approved by a unanimous vote of the county’s three election commissioners. It also must be approved by the Jefferson County Quorum Court and the Secretary of State’s office.
The commission will meet at 6 p.m. at the Jefferson County Election Center, located at 123 Main Street.