COEUR d'ALENE - Recognizing that this year already poses election challenges, and that they can make more changes later on, Kootenai County commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to only reduce voter precincts from 71 to 70.

It's the minimal tweaking necessary to accommodate the recent legislative redistricting, the commissioners said, and respects public outcry that their original goal of dropping to 44 precincts might threaten representation.

"We do listen, and this is a process," said Commissioner Todd Tondee at the officials' weekly meeting at the administration building.

On the 70-precinct map, which was considered on Tuesday beside proposals for 44 and 50 precincts, voters in the large precinct 38 will be split into precincts 37 and 42.

The precinct with the highest number of voters will drop from 2,847 to 1,727. The lowest will also lower from 992 to 389.

The commissioners acknowledged that dramatically reducing precinct numbers could add longer polling lines to elections already facing a slew of changes this year, like Idaho Republicans holding county caucuses instead of a primary, and voters having to fill out party affiliation forms.

Not to mention, they noted, there are lawsuits pending over the new legislative districts, and more precinct changes must happen if the litigation is successful.

"We could be back here in six months," noted Commissioner Dan Green. "Still, we have to be proactive and move forward."

Although the 44-precinct proposal had been estimated to save tens of thousands in staffing and facility costs per year, Tondee said it hasn't been determined if the 70-precinct arrangement will save anything.

It was a last-minute plan, he said, adding that Clerk Cliff Hayes had been working on it through the lunch hour.

"This just got thrown together," Tondee said.

The commissioners tasked Hayes with reviewing each precinct to ensure the boundaries meet statute requirements.

Green noted that his goal all along was to save money, and Commissioner Jai Nelson spoke of hopes to maximize efficiency and reduce voter fraud and human error.

Tondee also said the commissioners have a responsibility to make government smaller.

"Precinct committeemen are government," he said. "That's my belief. You're elected, you go through the election process, it's part of government, in my mind."

More than 80 attended the meeting on Tuesday, many of them precinct committeemen.

Hayden Lake resident Donna Montgomery said she was glad the commissioners kept precinct 13 where she is precinct chair.

"I know everyone in my precinct," she said.

Vern Decker said he would have liked to see a precinct increase to accommodate population growth, giving each precinct chair a manageable number of voters to educate on elections.

"I know if a precinct committeeman does his job, he gets out there, passes out a lot of information and gets people involved," the Post Falls man said.

Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, said he believes the commissioners made the right decision.

"There are so many things in this presidential year," he said. "To do one more new thing might make it difficult for the public to vote."