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Recorder urges reprecincting in fast‑growing Pinal County; staff outlines costs and timeline
Summary
Pinal County Recorder Dana Lewis told supervisors growth projections require reprecincting in multiple precincts; staff proposed 28 new precincts could cost about $500,000 upfront and roughly $250,000 per election thereafter, with a statutory deadline of Oct. 1 in odd years and a proposed public‑engagement timeline ahead of that date.
Dana Lewis, Pinal County Recorder, told the Board of Supervisors that unprecedented population growth since 2016 and development permits require the county to consider reprecincting to avoid excessive precinct sizes and long ballots.
Lewis said Arizona Revised Statutes and the election procedure manual require county reprecincting work to be complete by Oct. 1 of an odd-numbered year if the county finds precinct sizes will cause excessive wait times or ballot administration issues. She said the department has modeled growth with GIS and community-development data and identified specific precincts at risk of becoming too large.
Lewis proposed creating about 28 new precincts in growth areas across the county and listed many of the specific precincts and possible new polling locations (examples: Heartland Ranch Elementary for a split in Precinct 80; Village Centre LDS Church and Maricopa Fire Station as potential polling sites; Mountain View Church and ALA San Tan Valley campus as options for other splits). She cited a number of precincts projected to exceed 5,000–6,000 registered voters under current trends.
Costs Lewis presented included an estimated $5,000 for the voter‑registration card mailing alone, about $375,000 in one‑time equipment purchases (additional polling cages, express vote machines and other materials), roughly $80,000 per election for additional poll workers and troubleshooters, and a per‑election total rising to about $250,000; she summarized total upfront and per‑election estimates as roughly $500,000 upfront and approximately $250,000 per election going forward if 28 precincts are added.
Lewis also noted operational factors that affect practical size limits for a precinct, including the percentage of voters signed up for active early voting (she said 75–80% currently), availability of ADA‑compliant facilities, and poll‑worker recruitment. She told supervisors that in the last election “we did not exceed our wait time requirement” and that actual needs depend on the polling location’s size and the number of active early voters.
The recorder proposed an outreach timeline: district-specific town halls for public feedback, outreach to cities, schools and churches for polling locations, a staff update in July (to be added to a July Board of Supervisors agenda), and a September presentation should the board wish to act—remembering the department must complete reprecincting by Oct. 1 in odd years.
Supervisors asked about thresholds and the recorder clarified there is no single fixed “ceiling” of registered voters but that operational concerns and available polling-site capacity guide decisions. Lewis said the department will continue detailed mapping and work with GIS and community development to refine proposed lines and locations and will return with public‑comment summaries and cost details for board consideration.
No formal action or vote was taken at the work session; the recorder requested direction about community outreach and further study.
