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City commission adopts ordinance changing voting precinct boundaries after heated public comment
Summary
The Grand Rapids City Commission adopted an ordinance to update boundaries and reduce the number of voting precincts, prompting extensive public comment about access, turnout and equity. An amendment to retain four Third Ward sites failed; final roll-call recorded a 6–1 approval.
The Grand Rapids City Commission voted to adopt an ordinance amending section 1.46 of chapter 3, title 1 of the city code to update several voting precinct boundaries, Mayor LeGrand presiding.
The change reduces the city'wide number of precincts in the proposal to 59 and will shift polling locations for many voters; the council approved the ordinance after public testimony and debate. Commissioner Kelsey Perdue offered an amendment to retain four Third Ward sites (which would have left the precinct count at 63) and argued the commission should not move ahead while demographic and access impacts remained unclear; that amendment failed on a voice vote and the underlying ordinance passed on a roll call.
Why it matters: Speakers at the meeting said the proposal could make voting more difficult for elderly residents, renters and communities of color in parts of the city where turnout has historically been low. Supporters said the plan is informed by…
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