The Portland City Council will consider an ordinance change on Monday that would reduce the number of polling places from 16 to six after July 1.

The ordinance change is necessary to reflect spending cuts the council recently approved in the 2008-09 municipal budget.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. in the council chamber at Portland City Hall.

A Portland group is circulating a petition to stop city officials from reducing the number of polling places.

City Clerk Linda Cohen proposed the reduction to save $12,000 to $15,000 on each election.

The city usually has two or more elections per year, and they cost as much as $40,000 each.