JEFFERSON CITY – At the House Special Committee on Redistricting hearing Monday in Jefferson City, Richmond businessman Jimmy Carter raised concern about the effect on voting and costs.

Carter opposed how the proposed congressional redistrict plan would divide Ray County and Richmond, saying the city division appeared arbitrary.

“It’s not following city voting wards – any official lines,” Carter testified, and added he would prefer the entire county stay in one district.

The proposed division would cause difficulty – “a polling nightmare” – for voters trying to determine the identity of their U.S. House member, he said.

“Is it going to increase costs at election time for ballots? Our county runs borderline between red and black constantly,” Carter said. “This is not an added expense that we need on voters.”

On Tuesday, Ray County Clerk Glenda Powell said the proposed district boundaries, if not changed, would cause issues for her office.

The first issue involved canvassing that occurs every two years to assure the integrity of voting rolls by purging voters who no longer reside where they once did.

“Everything’s going to have to be put on hold on that,” Powell said. “If I mail them out now, then two months from now, I’m going to have to mail them out again because their districts will all be wrong.”

Waiting to do the canvass until redistricting is settled is not an option, she said.

“I’m required to do it right away,” Powell said.

Another issue involves ballot wording, which changes from community to community, and two congressional districts would add to what must be printed, which raises costs, including because a single precinct could contain two districts, she said. A single election might require printing three dozen different ballots countywide for different communities and elections.

“The cost is going to go up and the state doesn’t pay their part,” Powell said, and provided a ballpark estimate of the extra cost. “I’m going to say from 5 to 6 (thousand dollars) … more per election. That comes out of our budget. …

“I can’t believe they’d do this to little old Ray County that has no money.”