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East Bethel plans for a fourth precinct as voter rolls swell; elections budget increased
Summary
At a Jan. 26 council work session, city staff said East Bethelhas three precincts with more than 2,000 registered voters each and proposed planning for a fourth precinct and polling place in 2028; the city also raised the 2026 elections budget to increase election-judge pay.
At a Jan. 26 East Bethel council work session, city elections staff member Carrie told the council that the city will hold a primary on Aug. 11 and a general election on Nov. 3, 2026, and that the city increased its elections budget to raise pay for election judges.
"We did increase the elections budget for this year even though there is not a presidential primary simply so that we can increase the pay rate for our election judges," Carrie said, describing a pay-rate adjustment made after a comparison with other Anoka County municipalities.
The council was told East Bethel currently has three precincts and that "all 3 of our precincts are well over 2,000 registered voters in each precinct," a level that consultants and county guidance commonly treat as a practical upper limit for precinct size. Carrie said staff has discussed creating a fourth precinct and a fourth polling place to accommodate near-term population growth and to avoid overburdening poll workers.
City staff identified Living Hope Church (formerly St. Andrew's) at 237th and 65th as a potential fourth polling location; the church has indicated interest but would need internal approval and a formal agreement with the city. Carrie also noted a state statutory requirement that a polling-place building fall within one mile of the precinct boundary, which limits candidate locations that meet ADA, parking and space needs.
On timing, Carrie said planners are weighing whether to implement a new precinct for the 2028 elections or wait until after the 2030 census, when redistricting would occur in 2031 and could change precinct boundaries. She asked the council whether to advance planning now so voters would receive advance notice of any future polling-place changes.
Council members generally favored planning ahead. One councilmember said starting earlier helps surface obstacles; another asked staff to coordinate with Anoka County's elections director on communication methods. Carrie said outreach for this year would likely be limited to polling-place postings and website notices to avoid interfering with 2026 procedures, with county postcards used for address-driven jurisdiction changes closer to 2028.
The presentation included a budget figure for increased staffing: presenters said the elections budget rose from $15,000 to $20,000 to cover judge pay and temporary in-house assistance during busy absentee-voting periods. Councilmembers asked that staff provide clear "needs vs. wants" prioritization as planning continues and directed staff to share the presentation materials for review.
Next steps: staff will coordinate with the Anoka County Elections Director, refine polling-place options and return to the council with more detailed outreach and implementation recommendations. No formal motion or vote was taken.
