Jun. 14—Voters in the 6th and 10th Districts in Superior could see a permanent change in their polling location in upcoming elections.

The Superior City Council is considering making the atrium of the Government Center, 1316 N. 14th St., the permanent location for people in the city’s northernmost districts to cast their ballot.

That means voters would no longer go to the Salvation Army in Superior to vote.

During the pandemic, Salvation Army locations across the country closed their doors, prompting city officials to temporarily establish the Government Center atrium as the polling site for voters to cast their ballot.

Officials found that the atrium better fits the needs of election workers and voters, according to City Clerk Terri Kalan.

Voters in those districts cast their ballots at the Government Center during the spring elections in 2020 and 2021, and during last year’s fall primary and presidential election.

While less centrally-located between the two council districts, the Government Center is on a bus line and can better accommodate voters with disabilities, Kalan said.

“I think once a month … they distribute food, and that always lands on a Tuesday,” Kalan said. “We’ve run into that a couple of times. So there’s people trying to get in there to get what they need, and there’s voters coming in and a lot of confusion. It’s just not a really good layout for entering and exiting.”

She said there are also issues concerning the weight of the door at the Salvation Army and the lack of an automatic door to accommodate people with disabilities entering the building.

Kalan said managing drive-up voting is also easier at the Government Center because the City Clerk’s Office is right there. When election workers have a question, they can shout and staff in her office can just run downstairs to provide help, she said.

“The parking situation is tough at the Salvation Army, not that it’s great here, but we can (add signs) for 10-minute parking in the loop … for voters only, where getting in and out of the Salvation Army is a little bit difficult,” Kalan said.

Councilors will consider making the change permanent at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 15, in the Government Center boardroom, Room 201.