Commissioners approve eight consolidated polling locations for constitutional amendment election

At a 9:30 a.m. special meeting at the Polkad Regional Health Building, the Polkad County Commission approved consolidating polling locations to eight sites for the upcoming constitutional amendment election. The motion to adopt the county clerk’s recommended consolidated locations passed after a motion by Commissioner Purvis and a second by Commissioner Dugos; commissioners voted verbally in favor and the chair declared the motion carried.

The change affects only the upcoming constitutional amendment election and does not alter polling plans for primaries, runoffs or future general elections. Ellie Monto, city secretary and assistant city manager for the City of Livingston and the city’s election administrator, told the commission she “recommend[s] that the polling places be approved as recommended by the county clerk” and read the list of consolidated locations the county proposed.

The list of eight consolidated locations named in the meeting included: Escapees Clubhouse; Goodrich ISC; Edmond office; Unalaska Sub Court House; Lanter Baptist; Seacrest Webster Community Center in Oregon; Alabama Cushad Administration Building; the Judicial Center in town; and Schwab City Baptist Church. The commission also accepted a change replacing St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mark’s precinct with Blanchard Baptist Church. The Dunbar location was not included for this election.

Commission staff explained the county arrived at eight sites by providing two polling locations per commissioner precinct. A county election official said the consolidation responds to countywide polling requirements and lower turnout expectations for constitutional amendment contests, estimating turnout “about 20%” and noting that in past constitutional amendment elections the Dunbar location has had nine voters. The official also cited a legal travel limit, saying “by law, the travel distance to any location can't be more than 25 miles,” and added the closest alternative for Dunbar voters would be the Judicial Center, about 1 mile away.

County staff said restoring the Dunbar location for this election would require adding three additional consolidated locations so each commissioner precinct had the same number of sites; staff said the county plans to use 12 locations for the 2026 election cycle, which would include Dunbar.

Commissioners gave no further formal direction beyond approving the eight-location consolidation. After the vote the chair moved to adjourn and Commissioner Perris and Commissioner Cassidy seconded that motion; the meeting adjourned at 9:36 a.m.