The Centre County Board of Elections decided at its meeting yesterday to petition the courts to combine the four on-campus voting precincts for the May 15 primary.

Since the University's Spring Semester will be over when the primary takes place and most students will not be here, the elections board wishes to combine precincts temporarily, said Susan Veneziano, deputy chief clerk for the county commissioners.

Voting in those districts during May elections is typically about 3 percent, she said.

Voter turnout for on-campus districts was low in last November's general election. Although the University was in session at the time only 130 people of the 2,000 registered in those districts went to the polls, election officials said at the time.

County turnout was about 41 percent for that election, which decided three borough council seats and the county district attorney race.