Polling Places Cut Down to 13 Compared to 65 for St. Cloud Referendum

ST. CLOUD - Instead of the typical 65 precincts, there will be 13 for the upcoming November 3rd $167 million referendum for the St. Cloud area school district.

The change is due to the school district deciding to use larger precincts for the referendum, resulting in fewer polling places. District 742 executive director of business services, Kevin Januszewski, says fewer polling places is just a cost-saving measure, with three judges required at each precinct.

"For every election site that we have, we have to have at least a minimum of three voting judges there. So if we would keep the 65, we would need to have over 180 or so judges that we'd have to pay for."

In a letter to residents, Minnesota Senator John Pederson says fewer polling places for a special vote like a bond referendum is common practice used by nearly all Minnesota school districts, due to a typically much lower voter turnout.

Property owners should receive a notice in the mail telling them their polling place location for the referendum. You can also click here to find your polling place.

Anyone with concerns or comments can contact the school board (contact information for board members here) or the District 742 business services office.