Thursday, November 5. 2009

St. Joseph County Election Maps Confuse Voters

The maps (a series of PDFs) had shaded and non-shaded areas and dots noting voting locations. Many residents looked at the maps and ended up at the wrong location. At least one voter could not vote because by the time he was at the correct location, the polls had closed. So, what was the issue? Apparently some shading was at fault.

A closer look at the map revealed McFarland's neighborhood wasn't shaded at all. It was in a white area surrounded by the darker tone.
...

Both Brunette and Silcott said the white area was an area in the county where there were not homes, but industries and businesses. WSBT News cameras found a well-established housing development.

The GIS official John Carlson explained that existing boundaries were used and consolidated into polling places, created by the County Voter Registration. He said he can fix the problem. He also noted that maps were to be used as references and were not warranted for accuracy.

- WSBT
- county voter maps (pdf)