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MARQUETTE -- Voters will notice new changes the next time they go to the polls.
The Marquette Election Board approved a precinct consolidation resolution on Monday. The city originally had seven election precincts across three polling locations -- after Monday's meeting, the city will establish four precincts across two polling locations.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Public Act 227 of 2023 in November, which amended state election law to limit the number of registered voters residing in a single election precinct to 4,999. Before this, the precinct limit was set at 2,999.
Marquette City Clerk Kyle Whitney said in an email that the majority of voters will see little to no impact from the precinct changes.
"While most voters will be identified by a new precinct number moving forward, only voters that were previously located in Precinct 4 will be associated with a new Election Day polling location. If they wish to cast a ballot on Election Day, they will now need to go to the YMCA for that purpose," he said. "If voters are accustomed to voting absentee, or if they want to utilize the city's early voting cite, those processes remain unchanged."
≤ Voters previously in Precinct 1 will still be in Precinct 1. Their physical Election Day polling location, City Hall, is unchanged.
≤ Voters previously in Precinct 2 will still be in Precinct 2. Their physical Election Day polling location, City Hall, is unchanged.
≤ Voters previously in Precinct 3 will now be in Precinct 1. Their physical Election Day polling location, City Hall, is unchanged.
≤ Voters previously in Precinct 4 will now be in Precinct 3. Their physical Election Day polling location, which used to be the Municipal Service Center on Wright Street, will now be the YMCA.
≤ Voters previously in Precinct 5 will now be in Precinct 3. Their physical Election Day polling location, the YMCA, is unchanged.
≤ Voters previously in Precinct 6 will now be in Precinct 4. Their physical Election Day polling location, the YMCA, is unchanged.
≤ Voters previously in Precinct 7 will now be in Precinct 4. Their physical Election Day polling location, the YMCA, is unchanged.
Whitney said he is very supportive of the additional choices being provided to voters through increased absentee balloting options and early vote sites but says those initiatives are "very resource intensive."
"As we prepare to conduct at least three elections in 2024, with nine days of early voting for each, we will need more supplies and equipment than ever before, and we will need to staff in a completely different manner," he said. "These precinct changes will allow us to streamline our election operations significantly, from top to bottom, so we can offer voters ready access to these new initiatives while being as fiscally responsible as possible."
Whitney said if a resident chooses to vote in the precinct on Election Day next year, it will be the same experience they've grown accustomed to.
"It will take a couple of weeks for the data to all be updated by the state, but if voters have questions about which precinct they will be in moving forward, or about the location of their polling location, they will be able to verify all that information online at www.mi.gov/vote," he said.
Voters experiencing a change will receive a new voter card in the mail.