Election gets underway
Local clerks start mailing absentee ballots
Thousands of registered voters across mid-michigan are receiving their ballots for the November general election. Municipal clerks started mailing out absentee ballots Thursday, with this year’s Nov. 3 election — already one of high interest — the first major election since Michigan voters enshrined the right to vote absentee without a reason into the state constitution.
Requests for absentee ballots in Mt. Pleasant is a little under three times what they were in 2016, said Mary Ann Kornexl, the city’s deputy clerk.
Kornexl and Chris Saladine, the city’s interim clerk, are handling the election for the city this year. Jeremy howard, whowas the city’s long-time clerk, left for the job as Clare city manager last month.
In 2016, 1,314 people requested absentee ballots, she said. This year, that number is 3,353. It’s not expected that all of those voters will push up turnout, it’s expected that many of the mare
voters who would ordinarily go to the polls in person.
Last week, the state Legislature passed legislation allowing municipalities with more than 25,000 people to do some of the absentee ballot processing the day before in-person voting on Nov. 2. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hasn’t signed the bill, but she is expected to sign it.
The law would allow clerks in those places to open ballots and verify themthe day before in-person voting, but would prohibit clerks from actually tabulating the votes until Election Day.
Municipalities with more than 25,000 — and Mt. Pleasant is one — have until 20 days before the election to decide if they want to do this. Kornexl said city officials are waiting to see how absentee voting goes before making any decision.
Mt. Pleasant is the only municipality in Isabella, Gratiot or Clare counties affected by the law.
Requests for absentee ballots are up everywhere, however.
In Union Township, 286 absentee ballots were requested in 2016. This year, Township Clerk Lisa Cody says they’ve received 1,854 requests for absentee ballots and sent out 330.
Outside the Mt. Pleasant/union Township population center, the other 15 townships have seen increases as follows:
• Broomfield, 37 in 2016 to 375 this year, said Candy Recker, township clerk.
• Chippewa, 2 in 2016 to 750 this year, said Fran Ash, township clerk.
• Coe, 76 in 2016 to 545 this year, said Patti Sandel, township clerk.
• Coldwater, 0 in 2016 to 107 this year, said Kim Flaugher, township clerk.
• Deerfield, 106 in 2016 to 903 this year, according to state records.
• Denver, 15 in 2016 to 145 this year, said Tammy Prout, township clerk.
• Fremont, 30 in 2016 to 154 this year, according to state records.
• Gilmore, 0 in 2016 to 206 this year, according to state records.
• Isabella, 25 in 2016 to 154 this year, according to state records.
• Lincoln, 12 in 2016 to 206 this year, according to state records.
• Nottawa, 50 in 2016 to 420 this year, said John Schimmelmann, township clerk.
• Rolland, 1 in 2016 to 58 this year, according to state records.
• Sherman, 148 in 2016 to 742 this year, said Denise Livermore, township clerk.
• Vernon, 29 in 2016 to 222 this year said Julie Cole, township clerk.
• Wise, 1 in 2016 to 195 this year, said Doris Methner, township clerk.
In Gratiot Countys, based on state records, requests for absentee ballots have increased from 2016 as follows:
• Alma, 52 in 2016, to 1,363 this year.
• Arcada Township, 58 in 2016 to 340 this year.
• Bethany Township, 25 in 2016 to 209 this year.
• Elba Township, 0 in 2016 to 184 this year.
• Emerson Township, 23 in 2016 to 12 this year.
• Fulton Township, 62 in 2016 to 459 this year.
• Hamilton Township, 6 in 2016 to 12 this year.
• Ithaca, 111 in 2016 to 522 this year.
• Lafayette Township, 0 in 2016 to 69 this year.
• Newark Township, 9 in 2016 to 73 this year.
• New Haven Township, 1 in 2016 to 13 this year.
• North Shade Township, 0 in 2016 to 85 this year.
• North Star Township, 37 in 2016 to 131 this year.
• Pine River Township, 29 in 2016 to 482 this year.
• St. Louis, 38 in 2016 to 506 this year.
• Seville Township, 0 in 2016 to 410 this year.
• Sumner Township, 49 in 2016 to 67 this year.
• Washington Township, 7 in 2016 to 124 this year.
• Wheeler Township, 20 in 2016 to 304 this year.
Finally, in Clare County, based on state records, requests for absentee ballots have increased from 2016 as follows:
• Arthur Township, 10 in 2016, to 84 this year.
• Clare city, 122 in 2016 to 584 this year.
• Franklin Township, 0 in 2016 to 47 this year.
• Freeman Township, 135 in 2016 to 344 this year.
• Frost Township, 3 in 2016 to 197 this year.
• Garfield Township, 134 in 2016 to 370 this year.
• Grant Township, 6 in 2016 to 591 this year.
• Greenwood Township, 61 in 2016 to 38 this year.
• Hamilton Township, 61 in 2016 to 346 this year.
• Harrison, 0 in 2016 to 379 this year.
• Hatton Township, 24 in 2016 to 173 this year.
• Hayes Township, 148 in 2016 to 845 this year.
• Lincoln Township, 131 in 2016 to 514 this year.
• Redding Township, 22 in 2016 to 9 this year.
• Sheridan Township, 11 in 2016 to 138 this year.
• Summerfield Township, 0 in 2016 to 95 this year.
• Surrey Township, 285 in 2016 to 807 this year.
• Winterfield Township, 0 in 2016 to 87 this year.