Vote Centers

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Vote Centers

Introduction

Vote centers are an alternative to traditional, neighborhood-based precincts. When a jurisdiction opts to use vote centers, voters may cast their ballots on Election Day at any vote center in the jurisdiction, regardless of their residential address. Colorado was the first state to use vote centers with a pilot program in Larimer County. States either permit jurisdictions to replace precincts with vote centers, or have required them statewide.

Thirteen states allow jurisdictions to use vote centers on Election Day: Arizona, Arkansas, California (beginning in 2018), Colorado, Indiana, Iowa (for some elections), New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Additional states may permit the use of vote centers during the early voting period.

Possible advantages:

Voter convenience — Citizens can vote near home, near work or school, or anywhere that is convenient.
Financial savings — With fewer locations to staff, Election Day expenses are reduced.
Turnout — Because of convenience, turnout may increase.

Possible drawbacks:

Tradition — The civic experience of voting with neighbors at a local school, church, or other polling place is changed.
Voter education — Vote centers can cause confusion if the switch isn't well publicized and explained to the public.
Equipment — Vote centers must be able to produce the appropriate ballot for each voter; this requires either touchscreen machines that can be reset for each voter or "print-on-demand" equipment.
Technology — Many jurisdictions first convert to the use of "electronic poll books;" when a voter casts a ballot in one location, it is recorded at all locations via networked computers.

State Specifics

State	Year Enacted	Location Within Jurisdiction	Number Required	Method of Verifying Voter Identity
Arizona Ariz. Rev. Stat. §16-411(B)(4)	2011 HB 2303	The county board of supervisors and the county recorder establish voting centers at county offices or other locations in the county deemed appropriate.	Not specified.	Not specified.
Arkansas Ark. Stat. Ann. §7-1-113 §7-5-101 (e)(1)(A)	2013 HB 1875	Not specified, but locations must have a secure electronic connection that prevents unauthorized access to the computerized registration book.	A county board of election commissioners may establish 1 or more vote centers.	The vote center shall have a secure electronic connection to prevent an elector from voting more than once.
California West's Ann. Cal. Elec. Code § 4005	2017 SB 117	Equitably distributed across the county so as to afford maximally convenient options for voters and at accessible locations near to public transportation routes. When locating vote centers election officials must also consider a variety of factors outlined in § 4005(10)(B).	1 vote center for every 50,000 registered voters from 10 days before until 4 days before the election. 1 vote center for every 10,000 registered voters in the three days before the election through election day.	Vote centers must have an electronic mechanism for county election officials to immediately access voter registration data and determine whether or not the voter has been issued a vote by mail ballot, and whether or not a ballot has been received by the election officials. The electronic mechanism shall not be connected in any way to the voting system.
Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. §1-5-102.9	2004 SB 153	Must consider proximity to public transportation and availability of parking; geographic features that affect access and convenience; equitable distribution across county; existence and location of population centers; access for voters with disabilities; use of existing voting locations that serve a significant number of electors; and use of public buildings.	Counties with 25,000+ active electors: 1 center per 30,000 active electors (at least 1) during early voting; 1 per 15,000 active electors on Election Day (at least 3). Counties with 10,000 to 25,000 active electors: at least 1 center during early voting and at least 3 centers on Election Day. Counties with <10,000 active electors: at least 1 center during early voting and on Election Day.	Each voter service and polling center must provide secure computer access and access to the centralized statewide voter registration system.
Indiana Ind. Code §3-11-18.1 Vote Center Information	2006 HB 1011 (pilot project) 2011 SB 32	Among other things, the vote center plan must include the total number of centers to be established, the number of voters within the county, the number of precincts whose polls will be located at the vote center and a certification that the center complies with accessibility requirements.	Counties with 25,000+ active voters: at least 1 center for each 10,000 active voters and a center for any fraction of 10,000 voters.	Vote centers must have electronic poll books that create a secure electronic connection between the county election board and precinct election officials administering a vote center.
Iowa Iowa Code §49.11 §49.21 Iowa Admin. Code 721-21.75(49)	2008 HF 2620 Note: Vote centers are authorized only for city, school and special elections in Iowa	Must be in a central location and accessible to persons with disabilities. At least 1 must be located within the boundaries of the political subdivision for which the election is being conducted.	Not specified. Designated by the county commissioner of elections.	Voting centers may have paper or electronic registers, but may not have interactive, direct access to the statewide voter registration database. It is a crime of election misconduct in the first degree if a person knowingly votes or attempts to vote at more than one voting center for the same election.
New Mexico N. M. Stat. Ann. §1-3-4	2011 SB 337	New Mexico permits consolidated precinct polling locations, which serve a number of precincts, but voters still have an assigned location within the county. Consolidated precinct polling locations must be centrally located, make voting more convenient and accessible to voters, and not result in delays for voters in the voting process.	Not specified, but consolidated precincts for primary or general elections shall be composed of no more than ten precincts.	Each consolidated precinct polling location shall have a broadband internet connection and real-time access to the statewide voter registration electronic management system.
North Dakota N.D. Cent. Code §16.1-04-02	2007 HB 1378	Accessible to the elderly and physically disabled. Must serve as a designated polling place for at least one precinct in the county in addition to serving as the site where any county voter may cast a ballot.	Not specified.	Not specified.
South Dakota S.D. Codified Laws §12-14-17	2012 SB 58	Not specified.	Not specified.	Secure, encrypted electronic poll books shall be used in lieu of paper registration books.
Tennessee Tenn. Code Ann. §2-3-301 to §2-3-308	2008 HB 3687 (pilot project for some municipalities) 2011 HB 1268 (pilot project expanded to additional municipalities) 2017 SB 2101 (pilot project expanded to some counties)	Locations must consider the density of the county population, the geographic dividers, and all other facts and circumstances that exist within the county.	1 for every 10,000 registered voters, but at least 2 in the county.	Each center must have a secure electronic connection to the computerized voter registration system permitting all voting information processed by any computer at a convenient voting center to be immediately accessible to all other computers at all convenient voting centers in the county. The secure electronic connection shall be sufficient to prevent any voter from voting more than once and to prevent unauthorized access to the computerized voter registration system.
Texas Tex. Election Code §43.007	2009 HB 719	Counties must adopt a methodology for determining where each vote center (known in Texas as a countywide polling place) will be located and solicit input from organizations who represent minority voters during this process.	The total number of countywide polling places may not be less than 50% the number of precinct polling places that would otherwise be located in that county; or 65% of the number of total precinct polling places in the first year in which the county participates in the program. The total number of permanent branch and temporary branch polling places open for voting in a county commissioners precinct does not exceed more than twice the number of permanent branch and temporary branch polling places in another county commissioners precinct.	Countywide polling places require a computerized voter registration list that allows an election officer at the polling place to verify that a voter has not previously voted in the election.
Utah Utah Code Ann. §20A-3-701 to §20A-3-703	2011 HB 130	Must be located in a government building or office (unless there is none available) that can be scheduled for use during election day voter hours, has the physical facilities necessary to accommodate election day voting requirements, has adequate space and has adequate security, public accessibility and parking.	Not specified.	A voting center ballot must be capable of being retrieved by the election official during the canvass if the voter cast a ballot at another location or before election day.
Wyoming	2015 SF 52	Not specified.	Not specified.	Vote centers must be connected through secure internet connections to provide voting information to and receive voting information from the electronic poll book maintained by the county clerk.