Perske suggests fewer polls be open

Like many cities, Sartell experienced a sparse turnout for the Aug. 14 primary election — only about 400 voters, which is only about 5 percent of the city’s registered voters.
At the Aug. 27 city council meeting, Mayor Joe Perske mentioned the low turnout and the city’s decision to keep all five polls open and hire 48 election judges at $150 each. Perske said it would be good to save the city some money by not having all five polling places open during the next primary election. He had requested the same thing earlier, in late July, but Sartell City Administrator Patti Gartland said state rules would likely frown upon or forbid not having all polling places open. After Perke’s latest request, Gartland said she would have to check to find out precisely what cities can and cannot do when it comes to holding primary elections.