A judge has ruled that the number of polling places for Woodbury County’s Primary Election on Tuesday, June 2nd and special election on Tuesday, July 7th be increased from 2 to a minimum of 5.
Judge Jeffrey Poulson also ordered that Woodbury County Commissioner of Elections, Patrick Gill locate a polling place in each of the five state representative districts in Woodbury County.
That would place one polling place each in Moville, Oto, Sergeant Bluff and Downtown, and the norhtside of Sioux City.
Pat Gill says he is satisfied with the ruling:
OC………a good compromise. :21
A minimum of five voting booths will be at each location.
The ruling says if the risk of exposure to COVID 19 subsides, it shall be at the discretion of the Commissioner of Elections to increase polling locations and voter access throughout Woodbury County for the elections.
Gill says that has been a concern and a driving factor as to why he wanted to limit polling places:
OC………as we do. :21
Former State Senator Rick Bertrand had filed a petition asking for a temporary injunction to have all vote centers and precincts open for the upcoming elections.
Bertrand claimed lines would be long at the only two vote centers and that people would be at risk from covid-19 because of potential long lines of people.
He also claimed a large number of Republican and non-party male voters would be harmed by not being able to vote in person on election day at a vote center.
