Title
Resolution authorizing voting precincts in Lake County.
Staff Summary
• The 2011 decennial redistricting resulted in new Congressional, State and County Board district lines creating the need to reconfigure Lake County’s voting precincts.
• In addition, since the advent of early voting alternatives, more than one-third of Lake County voters now vote prior to Election Day.
• Geographic Information System software (GIS) was utilized to target and achieve average Election Day voters of approximately 500, but not to exceed 800 voters per precinct.
• In order to provide more equitable service on Election Day and conserve the increasing costs to taxpayers, this resolution reduces the number of voting precincts by 66 resulting in a total of 415 precincts in Lake County.
Body
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Lake County currently has 481 Election Day voting precincts in 18 townships; and
WHEREAS, the 2011 decennial redistricting resulted in new Congressional, State and County Board district lines;
WHEREAS, the Lake County Clerk is responsible for drawing precinct lines as near as practicable for each precinct to be situated within one Congressional, Legislative and Representative District;
WHEREAS, electronic files of the new districts were made available in mid-July and analysis of existing precincts included the highest voter turnout on Election Day in the most recent Presidential Election in order to identify voters’ preference to vote prior to Election Day;
WHEREAS, Geographic Information System software (GIS) was utilized to achieve average Election Day voters of approximately 500 voters, but not to exceed 800 voters;
WHEREAS, some areas of Lake County are uniquely low-density and others are more compact, which yields minimum and maximum voter counts in the county;
WHEREAS, more than one-third of Lake County voters now vote prior to Election Day and Election Day is effectively the last day of a voting period;
WHEREAS, state and federal laws have added additional costs to the administration of elections and require significant resources before the traditional Election Day voting;
WHEREAS, in order to provide more equitable service on Election Day and conserve the increasing costs to taxpayers, the number of voting precincts in Lake County is reduced by 66;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by this Lake County Board of Lake County, Illinois, the attached Exhibit A sets forth the 415 precincts which are identified by their location within the county’s respective 18 townships.
DATED, at WAUKEGAN, LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS on this 13th day of September, A.D., 2011.