Voting for next week’s presidential primary election appears to be going smoothly locally and statewide.
For the first time since the passage of a new voting rights act in 2022, Michigan residents have the opportunity to cast their vote early and in person for nine consecutive days before the presidential primary election day, which began Saturday and continue through Sunday, Feb. 25. Voters can also vote in person on election day.
“By the end of the day Tuesday, over 100 people had voted at the county building,” county Clerk Michelle Crocker said.
Early voting began Saturday at the county building and at the township offices throughout the county. The poll site, staged in the commissioner’s meeting room at the government center, was even open Monday, which was a designated holiday for county staff. After the close of business Tuesday, the room had to be “flipped” from voting precinct for the county board meeting. And after the meeting, was flipped back to allow for voting.
“That’s not something we like to see, but everyone has been kind and patient. It’s going smoothly,” Crocker said.
According to michiganvoting. org, an amendment to Michigan’s constitution guaranteeing the right to vote early in every statewide and federal election was passed with “overwhelming” support in November 2022.
In addition to the presidential primary, voters in the Suttons Bay School District are seeking renewal of an 18-mill levy on non-homestead and nonqualifi ed commercial properties for a four-year period from 2025 to 2028.
Historically, many county residents cast their votes via absentee ballot. This continues to be popular option for some voters.
As of Monday, Crocker reports that clerks in the county’s 11 townships had sent out 5,087 absentee ballots of which approximately 66% have already been returned.
“That amounts to 15.5% of the county’s registered voters,” she said.
As of Tuesday, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that more than 765,000 Michiganders had already voted — 18,317 opting for the early option.
