New polling place picked for 2024 elections

MONTICELLO — City staff scrambled to find a new polling place for upcoming elections after one of Monticello’s four previous voting locations went on the market recently.

Grace Bible Church, located at 300 Riverview Drive, will now serve as the polling spot for the city’s fourth precinct, for those voters who live east of Washington Street.

The City Council signed off on this change at its most recent meeting May 13, offering its unanimous support.

Kindred Hearts Event Center on Broadway Street East had formerly served this area, but the property owner has put the building up for sale, with a potential buyer interested.

After discussions with Wright County and the property owner, city staff concluded that Kindred Hearts would no longer work as a polling place, and the search began for a new location to serve the fourth precinct.

“We looked at a number of places,” City Clerk Jennifer Schreiber said of the search, saying Monticello Middle School was a clear choice, but didn’t pan out. “We have talked to the school, (but) the middle school is not available.”

Grace Bible Church offered its community room for upcoming elections in August and November, with church leaders saying they are open to continuing this relationship in the future.

The precinct boundary lines will remain the same.

During the recent City Council meeting, a member of the public voiced his concerns about voting in a church, expressing that some people, such as members of the LGBTQ community, may feel uncomfortable.

In response, Schreiber explained why churches make appropriate polling places, and how the city was limited in its scope of choices.

“Churches are good because they’re not being utilized at that time, they’re accessible, they have a lot of open space that we need,” she said. “And finding a public space that would accommodate is a little bit difficult. And they have adequate parking.”

Monticello already utilizes one such facility in town for elections, with Resurrection Lutheran Church serving the second precinct.

Those who take issue with houses of worship do have an alternate option, Shreiber said: “You are also able to vote early at City Hall or by mail if you’re uncomfortable voting at a church.”

According to state laws, voters must be notified of the polling place change at least 25 days before the next election, which is the primary on Aug. 13.

To do this, the city is getting some help from Wright County, which will send notices to voters via postal verification cards through the State Voter Registration System.

This will cost approximately $0.30 per registered voter, estimated to cost a total of $330, which will be covered by funds budgeted for elections in 2024.

The City Council originally designated four election precincts/polling places in December 2021, as required by Minnesota State Statute.

The city’s other polling places are the Monticello Community Center Gym, 505 Walnut St., for the first precinct, serving those on the north side of Interstate 94 and west of Washington Street; Resurrection Lutheran Church, 9300 Jason Ave. NE, for the second precinct, serving voters on the south side of I-94 and east of Fenning Avenue; the Monticello High School Fieldhouse, 5225 School Boulevard, for the third precinct, for those west of Fenning Avenue; and City Hall, 505 Walnut St., for absentee voting.