Phoenix getting rid of polling places for August election
PHOENIX - There's a new way of voting in Phoenix, and officials tell us it will save the city money and make it easier for citizens to vote.
There's two main changes if you plan to vote in the Phoenix city elections come August; the locations and the times when you can vote.
Your neighborhood poling place is going away, replaced by 26 voting centers throughout the city.
"Any voter can go to any of those voting centers to cast their ballot, you don't have to get to the one by your home," said acting City Clerk Cris Meyer.
And those centers will be open for three days to allow you more time to vote.
"The other thing about the change is now you won't be limited to voting on Tuesday, election day, either," said Meyer.
It's a change officials say will make it easier for voters and save the city about $250,000.
"We thought it would save money, but not this much, so that was a nice surprise when we calculated it out," said Meyer.
The city is now working on letting the public know about the changes by putting together public service announcements.
But, what if you're one of the 90 percent of voters who mails in your ballot?
"Early voting remains the same as it's been. People on the list get mailed an early ballot, they send it in, it's just the same as it was," said Meyer.
It's a new voting concept that could catch on in other elections within the state.
"The Secretary of State's office is interested in looking at this for the future of Arizona elections and there's a couple of counties interested in it as well," said Meyer.
Get more information about the new voting centers and where they are in the city .