PROVO — Polling locations will change this year for an estimated 1,500 registered voters in Utah County.

Utah County commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved changes to voting precincts, including the creation of a new precinct in Saratoga Springs and boundary shifts in 12 cities.

The adjustments are the result of growth in Utah County, which led to nine precincts topping the 1,000-active-voter mark, said Utah County Clerk/Auditor Kim Jackson. Other changes were made necessary by annexation.

"In our county, we'll look at (establishing, dividing or changing voting precincts) every year because we're a high-growth area," Jackson said. "Most of the changes are just adjusting a line from the neighboring precinct."

All registered voters affected by the boundary changes will be notified by mail, he said.

"The notice will identify the polling location for them," Jackson said. "That way they know ahead of time that they're in a new precinct and they have a new polling location to go to."

Most of the adjustments apply to north Utah County cities. Boundary changes led to a fourth precinct in Saratoga Springs and small shifts in Alpine, Cedar Hills, Cedar Fort, Eagle Mountain, Highland, Lehi and Pleasant Grove. Utah County now has 270 voting precincts.

"For the most part, in the south end, there were no changes," said Commissioner Jerry Grover.

The lone exception was in the Elk Ridge/Salem area, where voters in the block south of 11200 South and east of 1600 West shifted from the Salem 4 precinct into Elk Ridge 1.

In Provo, minor shifts will affect voters in precincts 1, 3, 45, 49, 54 and 60. Utah County elections coordinator Sandy Hoffman estimates that about 1,500 voters will be affected by the changes.

More changes likely would have been made if not for election-related bills being considered by the state Legislature, Jackson said.

HB 13, sponsored by Rep. Douglas C. Aagard, R-Kaysville, calls for the Utah Election Code to be modified to include common polling places. As drafted, the bill would have increased the maximum number of active voters per precinct from 1,000 to 2,000. The Utah House of Representatives on Monday modified that figure to 1,250 and passed the amended bill. It was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday.

Another Aagard-sponsored bill, HB15, would allow voters to cast their ballots up to two weeks prior to Election Day. The bill passed a House vote Monday and was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday.

"We have quite a few (precincts) that are close to 1,000 (active voters)," Jackson said. "We've got many that are above the 900 level, but because the legislation that would allow us to go a little bit higher, we didn't want to go in and make those changes for this year."

Maps updated with the precinct changes can be viewed at the clerk/auditor's office at 100 E. Center, Room 3600, Provo. They are expected to soon be posted online at www.utahcountyonline.com/Dept/ClerkAud/Elections/index.asp

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