City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 3, 2023
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: KENDEL TAYLOR, INTERIM DEPUTY CITY MANAGER
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing, Second Reading and Final Passage of an Ordinance to Permanently Move the Polling Place in the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center Precinct to Alexandria City High School and Rename the Precinct accordingly. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of an ordinance to establish the Alexandria City High School as a polling place in lieu of Chinquapin Park Recreation Center and rename the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center Precinct the Alexandria City High School Precinct with no changes to the precinct boundaries.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council pass on first reading and schedule for second reading, public hearing and final passage on Saturday, January 21, 2023, an ordinance (Attachment 1) to establish the Alexandria City High School as a polling place in lieu of the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center and rename the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center Precinct the Alexandria City High School Precinct.
BACKGROUND: The Alexandria Electoral Board, which is a bipartisan board comprised of three members who are appointed by the Alexandria Circuit Court for staggered three-year terms, is responsible for making recommendations to City Council concerning changes in precinct boundaries, polling places, and for establishing new precincts. City Council has the statutory authority to make these changes.
On October 14, 2022, the Alexandria Electoral Board voted unanimously to recommend relocating the Chinquapin polling place to Alexandria City High School, with no changes to the precinct boundaries. In making its recommendations to City Council, the Electoral Board was primarily concerned with ensuring that the voting location conforms to legal requirements, has suitable voting facilities and those voting facilities are fully accessible.
In 2022, due to construction at the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center voting was temporarily held at the gym in Alexandria City High School for both the June Primary Election and the November General Election. All voters in the affected precinct were mailed postcards and voter parking was in the same location as when voting was held at the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center. The Alexandria City High School location allows ample space for the voting operations and the processing of same day registrations.
If City Council approves this ordinance, it will be implemented at the earlier of receiving a Certification of No Objection by the Office of the Attorney General as required by § 24.2-129 of the Code of Virginia, or sixty (60) days after the Request for a Certification of No Objection is filed with the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia. Affected voters will be mailed updated voter information notices.
FISCAL IMPACT: Voters affected by this change would be sent a notification. This mailing would cost approximately $2,600 and can be accommodated within the budget of the Office of Voter Registration & Elections.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ordinance Cover
2. Proposed Ordinance
3. Exhibit 1 - Map of Election Districts
STAFF:
Joanna Anderson, City Attorney
Angela Maniglia Turner, General Registrar
Shawn Lassiter, Assistant City Attorney
Members of the Alexandria Electoral Board