THOMAS TWP, MI – Thomas Township is expected to save more than $30,000 in future election costs after reducing its total number of voting precincts from seven to five.
The township’s election commission officially approved the precinct consolidation last month, and the Thomas Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to support the change during its Sept. 8 meeting.
About 10,000 voters reside in Thomas Township, according to Township Clerk Mike Thayer and Deputy Clerk Connie Watt. State legislation implemented in 2023 increased the size limit for precincts in local municipalities from 2,999 to 4,999 voters, allowing for the precinct reduction.
The consolidation of the township’s precincts is expected to reduce election-related costs for the township by decreasing the amount of election workers, technology, liability insurance costs, and the set-up time needed to hold future elections.
“If you talk to anybody who’s affiliated with running elections, you realize finding election workers is probably your biggest challenge,” Thayer said. “And then the second challenge is retaining them to make sure that they want to work for us again at the next election.”
Additionally, the township anticipates potential changes to the equipment needed to conduct an election such as tabulators and electronic pollbooks, Watt said, noting the township would only be required to buy enough of the technology for five precincts rather than seven.
“That’s a cost saving in itself,” she said.
The tabulators will cost at least $15,000 per precinct, and the electronic pollbooks will each cost an estimated $2,000, for a total savings of $34,000 with the reduction of the precincts.
The township is also decreasing its total number of polling locations from four to three, eliminating St. Mark Lutheran Church as a polling place.
Moving forward, township voters will cast votes at the Thomas Township Library,8207 Shields Drive; Thomas Township Fire Station 1, 355 N. Miller Road; and the Thomas Township Public Safety building, 8215 Shields Drive.
“We feel it’s a positive impact because what it does for Thomas Township is that it allows us now to have all voting precincts on our campus,” Thayer said. “Everything’s covered, so there’s no additional liability insurance that would be required.”
The close proximity of these polling locations means election workers won’t have to travel far to move between precincts. The polling locations are also near the township’s offices, located at 249 North Miller Road.
“Our office, the clerk’s office, and the multitude of people who assist us in the daily or the running of an election are now all within walking distance, which helps us tremendously when it comes to voting day, where we can solve problems much easier and faster,” Thayer said.
The precinct change will officially take effect beginning with the township’s next election, scheduled for August 2026.
The township will notify residents of the precinct consolidation on its website and newsletter. Any voters impacted by the decision will receive additional information from the township by mail, including new voter cards reflecting any precinct changes.
Additional information about the precinct change, including polling location assignments for each voting precinct, is available online at thomastwp.org.