By Lori Carlson, Editor 

City leaders hope by the time elections roll around, residents won’t be confused by several changes in polling locations.

Earlier this month, council members discussed a proposal to move Precinct 6B voters to Living Hope Lutheran Church in Shakopee for 2009 elections because the current polling site, Crossroads Church, has been purchased and will be demolished by then. Crossroads, however, will continue to be the polling site for Precinct 6B for this fall’s primary and general elections.

For 2009, council members said they hope a site within Prior Lake can be found for Precinct 6B, but Finance Director and elections official Ralph Teschner said the Shakopee church is “the only practical” alternative.

“I’m concerned about our establishing a voting site outside of Prior Lake,” said Mayor Jack Haugen.

Teschner said the city should secure Living Hope as the voting site for 2009 because Shakopee could very well take it for itself.

The city also has made a few changes in polling locations for this fall:

* Voters in Precinct 1 found themselves at the new City Hall when it opened last year, after years of voting at Holy Trinity United Methodist Church.

* Precinct 5 voters will now vote at the new Fire Station No. 2 on County Road 21 instead of Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church.

* Voters in Precinct 7, who used to vote at Playworks on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux reservation, now will vote at Shepherd of the Lake.

For more information on polling locations, visit www.cityofpriorlake.com. Lori Carlson can be reached at (952) 345-6378 or editor@plamerican.com.