Americans can expect the next presidential election to dominate next year’s headlines through November, and perhaps much longer than that if the results are contested again. Here in northern Michigan, officials are already preparing for the first of the 2024 statewide elections, the presidential preference primary, which is fast approaching on Feb. 27.
Leelanau County clerk Michelle Crocker attended a quarterly meeting of the Michigan Association of County Clerks in Claire on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 with her deputy clerk, Jennifer Zywicki. As part of the conference, Crocker and Zywicki attended the Michigan Bureau of Election’s “Train the Trainer” session.
Crocker said that since none of the local municipalities meet the population requirements to conduct their own election worker training, the county clerk’s office will be responsible for training election workers.
This will be the first year that Michigan voters can cast their ballots in three different ways: in person at their local polling place on election day, voting by absentee ballot, and in person at designated early voting site for nine consecutive days beginning on the second Saturday before the election and ending on the Sunday before the election.
Leelanau County’s Government Center will serve as the county’s designated early voting site for the presidential preference primary from Saturday, Feb. 17 to Sunday, Feb. 25. The government center will be closed for voting on presidential primary election date of Feb. 27, so same-day voters will need to cast their ballots at the local polling place in their precinct.
“Our hours are going to be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day for consistency. We’re not switching hours or anything like that. And those days will be consistent for February, August, and the November elections,” Crocker said. “And then when those polls close at 5, if we have a lineup, everyone of course will be allowed to vote. And all the stuff will be secured until we open the next day.”
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, according to michiganvoting.org.
The presidential preference primary will be the first election in Michigan to have this option, so it’s unclear how many county residents will take advantage of this new way to vote. However, Crocker said they “need to prepare as though each day of early voting will be as busy as election day.”
Leelanau County had the highest voter turnout in Michigan in the 2022 general election, and many residents cast their votes via absentee ballot. According to michigan. gov, voters must submit an absentee ballot application up to 75 days before an election to their village or township clerk to have an absentee ballot delivered to their home.
The 75-day deadline to receive an absentee ballot for the presidential preference primary passed earlier this month, but voters can still apply for the primary election in August and the general election on Nov. 5. Absentee ballots are distributed beginning 40 days before an election.
Crocker also said that the county will have a public voting accuracy test prior to the February primary, where members of the public will have the opportunity to come to the county government center and fill out a ballot on the county’s new software. Crocker said that this test serves a dual purpose in giving election workers some experience and assuring the public that the process is working properly. The date of this test will be posted in the newspaper soon.
