SOUTH PORTLAND – After reviewing the changes to the population of South Portland’s voting districts, City Clerk Susan Mooney is recommending that the city combine voting for districts 2 and 3 at the Community Center and districts 4 and 5 at the Redbank Community Gym.

The City Council was scheduled to discuss the possible changes to the polling locations during a workshop on Monday. Prior to the workshop, Mooney said the plan to combine voting districts is her preferred option.

She said the benefits would include reduced costs, less personnel needs and less equipment. She also said the Community Center and Redbank Gym both have adequate parking to accommodate the increased number of voters.

However, Mooney said one of the drawbacks to the proposal would be that residents who live in the outer Highland Avenue area would have to travel about three miles further to vote by changing their polling place from the Community Center to the Redbank Gym.

Combining districts 2 and 3 would put the population of the joint districts at about 8,200, while combining districts 4 and 5 would put the number of inhabitants at 6,650, according to Mooney.

She is making the suggestion to move the District 2 polling place from the American Legion Hall on Broadway, in particular, because that location is already stressed during elections and with the population shift noted in the 2010 Census, that district has seen a 41 percent increase in the number of inhabitants.

Under state law, Mooney said that each voting district within the city must be formed of “compact, contiguous territory,” and each district must also “contain as nearly as possible the same number of inhabitants according to the latest Federal Decennial Census.”

Realizing that changing the voting places for this November could lead to a rushed decision and confusion among voters, Mooney said the City Council could consider leaving the polling locations in place for the upcoming election, while encouraging the voters in District 2 to vote by absentee ballot.

In order for districts 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 to be combined in time for the November election, Mooney said the City Council would have to hold a public hearing on the proposal no later than Aug. 4.