Council Gets First Look at Proposed Precinct Boundary Changes

Eagan residents will likely see plenty of changes to their polling stations and precinct boundaries this year, as Eagan officials redraw the city's precinct map in the wake of the .

City Clerk Christina Scipioni unveiled the proposed polling stations and boundaries for Eagan's 2012 voting precincts at a special Eagan City Council meeting on Tuesday evening. Many of the proposed precincts bear little resemblence to the city's current precinct system. View the current and proposed maps by clicking on the PDFs attached to this article.

The city redraws its precinct maps every decade, follow the state's own legislative redistricting process. Because a Minnesota Supreme Court panel made substantial changes to Eagan's legislative district boundaries, the city was compelled to shift many of its own precinct boundaries, Scippioni said.

State law prohibits precincts from crossing over legislative boundaries, Scippioni said. The previous border between the 'A' and 'B' side of the legislative district fell along Pilot Knob Road, but the new boundary hews more closely to Interstate 35E. As a result, many of the precinct boundaries had to be adjusted.

Two of the city's precincts—Precincts 5 and 6—were also separated into A and B sides so they align with school district boundaries, Scippioni said. Voters in each side of Precincts 5 and 6 will vote at separate locations, Scippioni said.

"Historically, we have tried to keep boundaries relatively the same for voters, but this time it was difficult to do that," Scippioni said.

Scippioni and Assistant City Administrator Dianne Miller worked with a GIS specialist to rework the precinct lines. City Councilor Paul Bakken also provided direction for the group, Scippioni said. The council didn't take any action on the proposed boundary changes on Tuesday, but will likely vote whether to approve the new maps on March 20, she added. Minnesota cities must complete the process by April 3, according to state law.

Concerned that voters may be confused by the redrawn lines and different polling stations, city officials plan to provide updates via social media and traditional mailings to Eagan residents.