POULSBO — With less than a week until voters give their official opinion of where Little Norway’s next city hall should go, one thing is certain: voter turnout is critical.

In the 2005 general election, 2,837 voters marked their ballots as former City Councilwoman Kathryn Quade won the mayoral election.

Now in the 2006 general election, no city elected offices are on the ballot, but voters will cast advisory ballots to help determine whether a new city hall should stay on Jensen Way or be built on 10th Avenue.

Voters will be able to either mail in their ballots prior to the Nov. 7 election or drop them off at the Poulsbo Fire Station at 911 Liberty Road on election day.

There are 4,413 registered voters in Poulsbo, said Kitsap County elections manager Dolores Gilmore. While the actual voter turnout won’t be known until all the ballots are counted, Gilmore said the city’s advisory ballot could see a higher than usual number of voters.

Numerous federal, state and county races should also help boost the turnout for the city’s ballot issue, she said.

“Being as it’s in the November general election, it will most likely have a higher turnout than if it were in a special election by itself,” Gilmore said.

Even though the Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce has yet to take an official stance on the city hall location issue, chamber executive director Stuart Leidner said he hopes local voters take an interest in the decision.

Voters should make sure to read all of the information available on both sides of the issue and make an informed decision when marking their ballots, Leidner said.

“Whether you go in and actually use the services of city hall on a daily, weekly or monthly basis or if you mail everything, it’s still a part of your community,” Leidner said. “It’s what’s going to define this community for several decades.”

Mayor Quade echoed Leidner’s thoughts and said in an election of this nature, every vote is important.

“For an off-year election this is the most important decision that is going to be made for Poulsbo’s future,” Quade said.

The election is an opportunity for voters’ voices to be heard, so they should exercise that right, she said.

“Even though it is an advisory ballot, council and myself have said we will uphold the vote,” Quade. “They need to make their voice heard. This is their chance.”