TITLE
RESOLUTION APPROVING AND ADOPTING NEW VOTING PRECINCTS 295, 296, 387, 388, 389, 390, 461, 462, 782, 784, 792, 797, 798, 854 and 934 AND REVISED BOUNDARIES FOR VOTING PRECINCTS 222, 235, 322, 349, 352, 365, 402, 452, 703, 733, 739, 764, 776, 824 AND 907.

BODY
WHEREAS, this Board desires to accomplish the purposes outlined in the accompanying memorandum, a copy of which is incorporated herein by reference,

WHEREAS, this Board desires to create new voting precincts to alleviate fifteen (15) existing voting precincts countywide that surpassed its natural capacity in terms of an increased number of registered voters or limited facilities, resulting into two equally distributed voting precincts following existing major street and/or roadway lines whenever possible,

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board hereby approves and adopts new voting precincts 295, 296, 387, 388, 389, 390, 461, 462, 782, 784, 792, 797, 798, 854 and 934 and revised boundaries for voting precincts 222, 235, 322, 349, 352, 365, 402, 452, 703, 733, 739, 764, 776, 824 and 907, as listed in Exhibit A and described in Exhibit B, and made a part of this resolution.

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Date: June 3, 2008

To: Honorable Chairman Bruno A. Barreiro
and Members, Board of County Commissioners

From: George M. Burgess
County Manager

Subject: Resolution establishing new voting precincts and revising existing voting precincts

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Board approve the attached resolution establishing new voting precincts and revising existing voting precincts. The provisions of this resolution allow for the alignment of new precinct lines, resulting from the division of fifteen (15) existing voting precincts into one additional voting precinct each. This will create a more equitable distribution of voters in these precincts that due to growth in the area has outgrown their existing voting locations. The Elections Department has reviewed the precincts in preparation for the August 26, 2008 Primary Election and the November 4, 2008 Presidential General Election. As such, it is recommended that the new precincts be approved in order to provide the voters in the respective areas a polling location that will be able to adequately accommodate them.

Scope
The new voting precincts and revised existing voting precincts are located within the boundaries of Board of County Commission (BCC) Districts 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 as follows:

* Precinct 222 (BCC District 1) residing at the Miami Gardens Church of Christ, 2255 NW 183 Street, currently has 3,559 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,195 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the North Dade Regional Library, 2455 NW 183 Street, for the other 1,364 voter.

* Precinct 235 (BCC District 1) residing at the Evelyn La Rock Conference Center, 101 N Perviz Avenue, currently has 2,901 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 890 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Dr. Robert B. Ingram Elementary School, 600 Ahmad Avenue, for the other 2,011 voters.

* Precinct 824 (BCC District 8) residing at the Pinelands Presbyterian Church, 10201 Bahia Drive, currently has 3,398 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,084 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 8601 SW 199 Street, for the other 1,314 voters.

* Precinct 776 (BCC District 9) residing at the Munne Center, 17250 SW 137 Avenue, currently has 5,597 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,634 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Eureka Villas Park, 14301 SW 180 Street, for the other 2,963 voters.

* Precinct 907 (BCC District 9) residing at the Village of Homestead Audubon Club House, 1851 S Canal Drive, currently has 4,056 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,034 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Waterstone Park, 4002 N Waterstone Way, for the other 2,022 voters.

* Precinct 703 (BCC District 10) residing at the Ramblewood Condominiums, 13715 SW 66 Street, currently has 3701 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,366 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at The Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 14177 SW 72 Street, for the other 1,335 voters.

* Precinct 733 (BCC District 10) residing at the Primera Iglesia Bautista de Coral Park, 7441 SW 127 Avenue, currently has 4,258 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,914 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Kendale Lakes Master Condominium Association Inc, 8399 SW 137 Avenue, for the other 1,344 voters.

* Precinct 402 (BCC District 11) residing at the Lamar Louise Curry Middle School, 15750 SW 47 Street, currently has 9,543 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 4,723 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the John A. Ferguson Senior High School, 15900 SW 56 Street, for the other 4,820 voters.

* Precinct 739 (BCC District 11) residing at the Miami-Dade County Fire Station #36, 10001 Hammocks Boulevard, currently has 3,161 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 1,425 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 11291 SW 142 Avenue, for the other 1,736 voters.

* Precinct 764 (BCC District 11) residing at the Howard Doolin Middle School, 6401 SW 152 Avenue, currently has 7,304 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 3,522 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Miami-Dade County Fire Station #56, 16250 SW 72 Street, for the other 3,782 voters.

* Precinct 322 (BCC District 12) residing at the Ben Sheppard Elementary School, 5700 West 24 Avenue, currently has 3,227 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 1,619 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Ruth Tinsman Hialeah Housing Authority, 6545 West 24 Avenue, for the other 1,608 voters.

* Precinct 349 (BCC District 12) residing at the Hialeah Gardens Community Hall, 10003 NW 87 Avenue, currently has 5,016 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,124 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the West Hialeah Gardens Elementary School, 11990 NW 92 Avenue, for the other 2,892 voters.

* Precinct 365 (BCC District 12) residing at the Lawton Chiles Middle School, 8190 NW 197 Street, currently has 4,464 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,409 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Palm Springs North Elementary School, 17615 NW 82 Avenue, for the other 2,055 voters.

* Precinct 452 (BCC District 12) residing at the Eugenia B. Thomas Elementary School, 5950 NW 114 Avenue, currently has 3,924 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 1,718 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Ronald Reagan Senior High School, 8600 NW 107 Avenue, for the other 2,206 voters.

* Precinct 352 (BCC District 13) residing at the Miami Lakes Community Center, 15151 NW 52 Avenue, currently has 5,127 registered voters. The proposed change is to maintain 2,667 voters at the existing location, and open a new voting precinct at the Bob Graham Education Center, 15901 NW 79 Avenue, for the other 2,460 voters.

Fiscal Impact/Funding Source
The sixteen additional voting precincts would incur a potential rental fee of $300 on average. The prospective $4,500 fiscal impact would be funded through the Elections Department general fund budget.

Track Record/Monitor
The Elections Department will manage this process.

MANAGER'S BACKGROUND
Background
Section 101.001(1), Florida Statutes, provides that �the Board of County Commissioners in each county, upon recommendation and approval of the Supervisor of Elections, shall alter or create precincts for voting in the County. Each precinct shall be numbered and, as much as practicable, composed of contiguous and compact areas. The supervisor shall designate a polling place at a suitable location within each precinct.�

A review was conducted to identify existing voting precincts countywide that had surpassed its natural capacity in terms of an increased number of registered voters or limited facilities. In doing so, the criteria set forth included the identification of existing voting precincts whose registered voters had outgrown the natural capacity in terms of square footage and/or parking conditions as provided by the polling location. Once the voting precincts were identified, alternate locations were canvassed to divide the existing voting precincts into two equally distributed voting precincts following existing major street and/or roadway lines whenever possible.

Upon approval, the proposed resolution will divide the existing fifteen (15) voting precincts identified into two equitably suitable voting precincts within the specified area, thereby providing more accessibility of equipment and poll workers to the voters. Exhibit A attached presents the existing voting precincts and the proposed additional voting precincts sorted by Board of County Commission District. Exhibit B attached presents the precinct maps and boundary descriptions.

New voter identification cards will be mailed to all active registered voters within the fifteen (15) voting precincts notifying them of their precinct and polling place location. The cards will also contain Congressional, State Senate, State House, County Commission, School Board district, and Community Council district numbers as well as municipal districts and political affiliation where applicable. Pursuant to federal and state laws, identification cards returned by the Post Office will be used to update the voter registration rolls.