ElectionsIndividuals interested in running for a township trustee position may collect a packet in person from the clerk’s office. Only one packet per person will be given.Let's talk elections!
The State Primary is slated for August 6, and the General Election for November 5. Michigan voters now have three options for casting their ballots in 2024 and beyond: 1. Absentee Ballot and Permanent Absentee Ballot List All registered voters have the right to vote by mail. Request an absentee ballot here (website opens in new tab). In 2022, Michigan voters approved the option to receive an absentee ballot for all elections moving forward by completing an application once and joining the Permanent Absentee Ballot List. When filling out this application, review your options. If you wish to join the Permanent Absentee Ballot List, check the box to do so and sign and date where appropriate. If you don't wish to do so, but you do wish to receive an absentee ballot for the Presidential Primary, State Primary, and/or General Election, check the appropriate boxes and sign and date the application but do not check the Permanent Absentee Ballot List box. Please note that because the February 27 Presidential Primary is a partisan election, voters must select which ballot they wish to vote, Democratic or Republican. Joining the Permanent Absentee Ballot List is not mandatory and may not be appropriate for each voter. Voters who join this list may request to be removed from it at any time. This request must be in writing and signed. If you join the Permanent Absentee Ballot List and are going to temporarily be away for an upcoming election, it is your responsibility to notify the clerk’s office to send the absentee ballot to a different address. Ballots are non-forwardable through postal mail. If you move within the State of Michigan and update your voter registration address, your status on the Permanent Absentee Ballot List will move with you. Voters have until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day to complete their absentee ballot and return it to the clerk's office or drop box. It will not be counted unless the signature on the outside of the return envelope matches the signature on file. If you still have your absentee ballot and decide you want to vote in person, you may do so by surrendering the ballot at your polling place. If you lose your absentee ballot or if it was destroyed, you may sign a statement affirming this and vote at the polls. 2. Early Voting Voters have the right to vote and place their completed ballot into a secure tabulator during the nine days of early voting beginning the second Saturday before each state and/or federal election. The East Bay Township Hall at 1965 N. Three Mile Road is the host site for Early Voting for all registered voters in Peninsula Township as well as East Bay, Acme, Whitewater, and Union townships. Early Voting will take place in the East Bay Township Hall North Conference Room from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. each of these nine days. If you are not currently registered to vote, stop by the Peninsula Township Clerk's Office during regular office hours or from 8:00-4:00 on Saturday, February 24, before going to the Early Voting Site. 3. In-person Voting In-person voting on Election Day continues to be an option for voters who prefer to vote in person on Election Day in their assigned precinct. Residents who live in Precinct 1 vote at Peninsula Township Hall at 13235 Center Road. Residents who live in Precinct 2 vote at First Congregational Church at 6105 Center Road. Precincts open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m., but any voter who is in line to vote at 8:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Dates of interest for the February 27, 2024, Presidential Primary Election:
Q & A: Michigan’s Presidential Primary Do I have to be a registered Republican or Democrat to participate in Michigan's Presidential Primary? No. Michigan's Presidential Primary has been designated a closed primary. There is no political party registration requirement in Michigan Election Law. Any Michigan registered voter can participate in the primary. By law, you must make your ballot selection in writing by completing the Application to Vote/Ballot Selection Form on Election Day or on the Absent Voter Ballot Application form if voting absentee. Why do I have to select a party ballot? Michigan Election Law (MCL 168.615c) guides the conduct of the Presidential Primary. The law requires that voters indicate in writing which political party ballot they wish to vote. This requirement only applies to Presidential Primary elections, and voters will not be required to select a political party ballot type at other types of elections. Didn't the legislature just eliminate straight-ticket voting? Yes, the legislature did eliminate straight-ticket voting, but straight-ticket voting was only an option in the November General Election. A closed Presidential Primary is a very different process. Voters are required by law to select a Republican or Democratic party ballot to participate in the Presidential Primary. What is the difference between an open primary and a closed primary? Voters in an open primary are given a ballot with a column listing each qualified party's candidates. Voters then decide which party primary they wish to participate in by voting only in the column of their party choice while in the privacy of the voting station. Voting for candidates in more than a single party's column voids the entire partisan ballot. Voters in closed primaries must state the party primary they wish to participate in before being issued a ballot. The ballot given to voters only has candidates of the party that correspond to the voter's choice. Will Michigan's closed Presidential Primary procedures affect the August State Primary in any way? No. The August primary is an open primary. Voters will not be asked to select a party before voting in the August primary. Each voter will be issued a ballot containing all political parties and their candidates and will select one of the parties in the privacy of the voting station. When I select a party ballot for the Presidential Primary, does that mean I have to vote in the same party primary in August? No. The written selection made by a voter at the Presidential Primary has no bearing on how a person votes in the State Primary election. Will my ballot selection be made public? Yes. By law, a public list must be made available that includes the Presidential Primary ballot type chosen by each voter in the Presidential Primary. This list must be made available within 71 days after the Presidential Primary election. This ballot selection information is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The public list of voters' Presidential Primary ballot selections must be destroyed after the 22-month retention period expires. To be clear, only the political party ballot selection will be made public; the candidate voted for will not be made public. Ballots are secret; the candidate voted for is not and cannot be disclosed. Helpful Reminders: Check your voter registration status and determine your polling location at the Michigan Voter Information Center Website (website opens in new tab). To update your voter registration information, including your address, visit https://www.mymove.com/moving/paperwork/change-voter-registration/. To view a sample ballot, go to the State of Michigan's website (website open in new tab). You can register to vote in person at the clerk’s office or online at Michigan Online Voter Registration (website opens in new tab). If you would like to volunteer to work as an election inspector in 2024, please fill out an election inspector application (website opens in new tab). Note: even if you've filled out an application in the past, you will need to do so again, as state law requires a new application every two years. Please reach out to the clerk's office if we can answer any questions. You can reach Clerk Becky Chown at clerk@peninsulatownship.com
|
Information
|