There are 428 Delaware County voting precincts, too many, officials say.
It’s estimated that a consolidation plan for 100 precincts put forth by Delaware County Director of Elections James P. Allen could save more than $100,000 annually, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.
The idea is to streamline the precincts by merging low-voter areas.
“This plan will save over $53,000 per election, more than $106,000 annually, while improving service to voters,” Allen said.
The consolidation would also save an estimated $600,000 in future equipment upgrades over the next decade.
Elections are one of the areas where the county has seen costs rise substantially, said Delaware County Councilwoman Christine Reuther.
The cost-cutting measure was partly fueled by a 23 percent county property tax hike OK’d for 2025.
Reuther told the Board of Elections she would like to see even more consolidation, noting that nearby counties with larger populations have fewer precincts.
Allen responded that the goal is to have precincts with 900 to 1,800 voters, and to avoid “supersize precincts.”
The hope is to have the changes in place by the May 20 Primary Election.
Find out how consolidating Delaware County voting precincts could affect you in the Daily Times.
