FORT PIERCE — City officials are considering closing two low-turnout voting precincts for the upcoming runoff election to fill the District 2 commission seat, after fewer than 2,600 voters cast ballots in the Nov. 4 special election.
Fort Pierce City Clerk Linda Cox briefed commissioners Monday on next steps for the runoff between Chris Dzadovsky and Jamie Beth Galinis. Dzadovsky received 1,035 votes, Galinis received 796 votes and Benton received 761 votes in the initial round.
“In preparation of our runoff election, we do have a little bit of information and some feedback that we need to receive from you guys so that we can finalize the calendar for the upcoming election,” Cox said.
Cox recommended keeping early voting despite the low turnout.
“My recommendation would be that we do proceed with early voting. We did it for the last election. I think it is very important that we keep everybody’s options open,” she said.
Commissioner Michael Broderick said he was disappointed in turnout.
“I just hope, as a prior speaker had mentioned, that the turnout in the runoff election will be significantly higher. I think we were on 20 percent,” he said.
City staff reviewed turnout numbers by precinct and found two locations with extremely low participation.
“We had one precinct, Precinct 60, that we had one voter. We had another precinct, Precinct 12, where we had two in-person voters and two vote-by-mail voters. It is our strong recommendation that we do not open those two precincts for the runoff election,” Cox said.
Each precinct costs the city about $2,500 to operate during an election, Cox said. She noted the savings could help offset the cost of holding a special runoff in January.
“Gertrude Walker has indicated that she will do individual mail notification for those voters for those two precincts. But it is a matter of each precinct costs the City about $2,500 to open,” Cox said.
Voters from those precincts would be temporarily reassigned.
“The one for Precinct 60, that is the St. Lucie School, so those voters will be redirected to the precinct out on the beach. And the one that votes on Oleander, they’re going to move just down the road,” she said.
St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker stressed the change would only apply to this election.
“All of them will receive a notice that their precinct is being combined with another precinct for one time only,” Walker said.
Commissioners said they were open to the idea but expressed caution.
“I hate moving precincts or closing precincts or changing habits of voters. I’m open to hear what my fellow commissioners say about trying to balance this saving taxpayers money versus the right for people to have their precincts or know where they’re voting,” Commissioner Arnold Gaines said.
The proposal will return to the commission as a formal resolution at a future meeting.