FARGO (KFGO) – Fargo voters will be at the polls next Tuesday to decide whether to approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase and a 3% lodging tax for a proposed $140 million Fargodome expansion that would include a convention center.
Elections are typically run by the county, but the City of Fargo is running this one because the North Dakota Secretary of State told the county they cannot do special elections after Oct. 1. It will be the first time the city has run an election in 23 years.
The last time the City of Fargo ran an election was in 2000. City auditor Steve Sprague said, at that time, Fargo held a city election in April, a run-off election in May, a primary election in June, and a general election in November.
“That November, on the general election ballot, we had a question of, ‘should we amend the Home Rule Charter to eliminate the run-off provision, and to combine our elections with [Cass] County?’” Sprague said. “That passed overwhelmingly, and we have combined with the county ever since.”
Sprague said this election will look a little bit different than voters might be used to. They will be asked to fill out an affidavit of eligibility, and their name will be checked off in a log book manually rather than scanned in electronically with their driver’s license.
“Once they’re entered into the poll books, they’ll be sent over to the judge. The judge will give them the ballot and they can vote their ballot,” Sprague said.
Sprague said the ballots cannot be counted until after all voting has ended. After the ballots are counted, they will be balanced against the log books.
The polls will be open at Fargodome, the Civic Center, or Ramada Inn between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Sprague said options were limited for polling places because many of the churches that are normally available for elections are busy due to the Christmas season.
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