Bonner 'colocates' voting precincts

PRIEST RIVER — Bonner County is consolidating several of its voting precincts.

County commissioners approved the new designations proposed by Clerk Michael Rosedale for the 2021 election cycle on Tuesday.

Voters in the West Priest River Bench precinct will no longer be casting ballots at Priest River City Hall. That precinct is being — in Idaho Secretary of State parlance — is being "colocated" with the existing East Priest River precinct at VFW Hall 2909, located at 113 Larch Street, according to Rosedale.

Rosedale said city hall was a bit cramped and didn't have the greatest access.

Colocating the two precincts in Priest River is expected to speed up ballot counts if one precinct sees a surge in voters while the other experiences a lull.

"Another benefit of having them colocate is that we can have our electronic poll books actually geared up to handle either of the precincts in that polling place so you can speed it up," Rosedale told commissioners.

Another change involves the Lakeview and Clark Fork precincts. They are being colocated to the Clark Fork-Hope Area Senior Center at 1001 Cedar Street in Clark Fork.

"It's a phenomenal place," Rosedale said of the senior center. "That will be a huge upgrade and facilitate ease of voting in that area tremendously."

Lakeview voters have been casting their ballots at the Clark Fork Library, while Clark Fork voters were casting ballots at city hall.

Idaho law requires the establishment of polling places for each precinct at least 30 days prior to an election. State law also requires the establishment of an absentee voting precinct, which has already been established at the Bonner County Administration Building at the corner of U.S. Highway 2 and Division Avenue in Sandpoint.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com or followed on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.