49.5 - CITY PRECINCTS.
49.5 CITY PRECINCTS.
The council of a city where establishment of more than one
precinct is necessary or deemed advisable shall, at the time required
by law, divide the city into the number of election precincts as will
best serve the convenience of the voters while promoting electoral
efficiency. As used in this section, the term "the convenience of
the voters" refers to, but is not necessarily limited to, the use
of precinct boundaries which can be readily described to and
identified by voters and for which there is ease of access by voters
to their respective precinct polling places by reasonably direct
routes of travel. As used in this section, the term "promoting
electoral efficiency" means reducing the cost of staffing election
precincts by requiring cities to avoid creating more precincts than
is reasonably necessary to provide voters access to voting.
The precinct boundaries shall conform to section 49.3 and shall be
described in an ordinance adopted by the council within the time
required by section 49.7. Before final adoption of any change in
election precinct boundaries pursuant to this section or section
49.6, the council shall permit the commissioner not less than seven
and not more than ten days' time to offer written comments to the
council on the proposed reprecincting. If the commissioner
recommends changes in the proposed reprecincting which the
commissioner concludes could better serve the convenience of the
voters or could promote electoral efficiency, including lowering
election costs, the council shall, if no changes to the reprecincting
are made, include reasons in the ordinance for not adopting the
proposed changes of the commissioner. A public hearing shall be held
before final adoption of the ordinance. Notice of the date, time,
and place of the hearing shall be given as provided in chapter 21.
Section History: Early Form
[C97, § 1090; S13, § 1090; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 723; C46,
50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 49.5] Section History: Recent Form
93 Acts, ch 143, § 14; 94 Acts, ch 1179, §7, 8; 2001 Acts, ch 50,
§1, 2
Referred to in § 49.7, 49.8, 49.10, 49.11, 273.8