County consolidates suburban voter precincts

In an effort to trim costs, Cook County Clerk David Orr announced last week that the number of suburban election precincts will be reduced starting with the February primary election.

In all, the number of precincts throughout the county will be reduced by 353. The action is expected to save the county $750,000 per year and was approved by the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

According to Orr, during the presidential election in November 2008, 25 percent of all votes cast were done so prior to election day at early voting sites and absentee ballots.

Locally, the changes affect Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield. The number of total precincts among the towns will be reduced from 36 to 32. The only area not affected by the change is in Lyons Township precincts in Riverside and Brookfield, where boundaries remain the same.

However, Lyons Township Precinct 102, bordered by Congress Park on the north, 47th Street on the south, Elm Avenue on the east and Deyo Avenue on the west will now be Precinct 84.

In Riverside, the county has consolidated precincts 8 and 14, which both border Harlem Avenue from 26th Street to Robinson Court. The consolidated area remains Precinct 8.

In North Riverside, Riverside Township precincts 13 and 17 have been combined into a new Precinct 13, bounded by Cermak Road on the north, roughly 24th Street on the south, Burr Oak on the east and 9th Avenue on the west.

Also, in North Riverside, Proviso Township precincts 102 and 132, which include all of the village west of 9th Avenue, have been combined into a new Precinct 102.

In the Proviso Township area of Brookfield there will now be eight precincts instead of 11, with precincts 130 and 63 (26th to Garfield and Forest to Maple) consolidated into a new Precinct 63.

Also combined are precincts 32 and 84 (now Precinct 32 – 31st to Jackson and Park to Kemman) and precincts 109 and 114 (now Precinct 109 – Jackson to Lincoln and Maple to Kemman).

More details can be found on the county clerk’s Web site at www.voterinfonet.com/sub/districts.asp.

-Bob Uphues