In Revere, Ward and Precinct Lines Will Have to Be Redrawn

While federal Congressional lines have to be redrawn starting in June, Revere Election officials will also have to re-draw their ward and precinct lines.

Census 2010 will release City and town population and demographic information in late February or March. That release will trigger local efforts to re-draw the lines that determine City Council ward seats.

Election Commissioner Diane Colella and her staff have already been attending meetings at the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office, most recently last week, to address this process.

Colella said that the most probable change would be making North Revere all one precinct, eliminating the ITAM and the Washington Avenue corridor from Ward 6 Precinct 3. Voting for North Revere would most likely begin taking place at the new Fire Station.

She said that with the growth of the Overlook Ridge development in North Revere, and to some extent the regular housing stock as well, the area has far more people than it had in 2000.

A simple look at the city’s registered voter list shows that hundreds of new voters are now coming out of Overlook Ridge.

Some areas on Revere Beach might also experience some changes as well.

For some time, many have thought that the Eliot Circle area should return to Ward 2, rather than stay in Ward 1. Also, there has been a persistent call from those in the Library Street/Immaculate Conception neighborhood to be taken out of Ward 1.

Colella wouldn’t comment on any of those changes, saying it was still too early.

The process calls for a vote of the City Council to approve all newly drawn lines, and then a special state panel will also approve the new lines. Once that is done, they will be in effect and will be used for this coming November’s City Election.

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