Traverse City officials hope to locate the city’s Precinct 8 polling station in the cafeteria of the Governmental Center at 400 Boardman Avenue instead of a previously proposed location of Northwestern Michigan College’s (NMC’s) gymnasium.

The city must relocate the polling station from its current location at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center due to a new Grand Traverse Bay YMCA lease at that facility. NMC agreed to let the city use its gymnasium for free during elections for the 2,442 city voters within Precinct 8. City commissioners were set to approve the venue change at their Monday meeting this week, but pulled the item from the agenda at the last minute at the request of staff.

City Clerk Benjamin Marentette tells The Ticker he pulled the proposal because he now hopes to host the polling station at the Governmental Center. “Priority one is to have it in a spot where it’s easy to find,” explains Marentette. “Our concern about the college (gymnasium) is that it’s hard to find. Everyone knows where the Governmental Center is…and it’s easily accessible from the neighborhoods.”

Marentette acknowledges there may be some parking challenges at the Governmental Center, but says the city has successfully held elections at other stations with similarly limited parking, such as the Traverse City Fire Department on West Front Street. “It seems to work, and weighing all the different (factors)…our main concern is that people don’t give up when they can’t find (the polling station).”

Marentette says he is still finalizing details with the state but is “quite certain” the Governmental Center will be approved as a polling station. He anticipates the venue change will be on the city commission’s April 4 agenda for approval. The city will send notification and new voter registration cards to Precinct 8 voters once a new polling location is approved, as well as reminders before this year’s election.