EARLY VOTING County and townships prepare for first statewide rollout

Peter Kobs, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·5 min read

Jan. 28—TRAVERSE CITY — Election officials throughout Grand Traverse County are preparing for the first statewide rollout of "early voting," which kicks off next month.

Registered voters in Michigan will be able to cast their ballots in person for nine days prior to the Tuesday, Feb. 27 presidential primary.

Early voting begins on Saturday, Feb. 17, and closes on Sunday, Feb. 25. Regular election day voting and voting by absentee ballot are still allowed.

"We're excited to see what happens with early voting," said Garfield Township Clerk Lanie McManus. "I'm very pleased that so many people have agreed to work at polling places this year."

Turnout on Feb. 27 is expected to be relatively low, as in past presidential primaries, officials said. During the March 2020 primary, records show that 26,257 people voted in Grand Traverse County out of 76,383 who were eligible to vote — about 34 percent. In East Bay Township, the turnout was about 27 percent, according to township clerk Susanne Courtade.

In preparation for the massive early voting rollout, local officials said the biggest concern was getting access to updated software called the "poll book tool." That update was originally expected from the Michigan Bureau of Elections on Jan. 17.

"We're really eager to get our hands on that software so we can [try it out] and train our people," said Lisa Gulliver, township clerk for Paradise Township. "The delay is a little worrisome."

Municipalities are required to use the tool when voters come to polling places to prevent double voting and ensure that voters are eligible to cast their ballots in a particular precinct.

For example, if someone previously voted by absentee ballot, the software would prevent them from casting a second ballot in person — and vice versa. State law requires that the software be developed in-house rather than built by an outside vendor.

However, that issue was resolved on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 25, when the BOE finally released the updated version online. Online training for election workers is on tap for early February, officials said.

"Back in November, we did a pilot test of the new software in several places like Oakland and Marquette counties," said Angela Benander, director of communications and media for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. "After that experience, we made some tweaks and completed the updates this week. It's now available for clerks to download."

Machines that actually count votes, called "tabulators," are separate from the state's poll book tool. In Grand Traverse County, all local governments decided to use tabulating systems from Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Nebraska. That widely used system scans paper ballots and records each vote individually.

Voting system accuracy tests, which are open to the public, are scheduled from Jan. 26 to Feb. 12 at various polling locations around the county. Those tests help ensure that all votes are counted and recorded accurately. A full list and schedule is available on the county clerk's website.

Early voting in Michigan was made possible when voters overwhelmingly approved Proposal 2 in November 2022. Today, all but three states offer some form of early voting, sometimes called "in-person absentee" voting or "all mail with early voting options."

For several months, township and city clerks in this area have been working with County Clerk Bonnie Scheele to plan for the new process of early voting. After extensive consultation, they decided to open early voting places in several "regional" and "independent" locations.

* Early voters in the county's east region may cast their ballots from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East Bay Township Hall, located at 1965 N. Three Mile Rd. That region includes Acme, East Bay, Peninsula, Union and Whitewater townships.

* Early voters in the county's west region may cast their ballots from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Green Lake Township Hall, 9394 Tenth St., Interlochen. That region includes Green Lake, Long Lake, Grant and Mayfield townships.

* Early voters in the county's south region may cast their ballots from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Paradise Township Hall, 2300 E. M-113, Kingsley. That region includes Paradise and Fife Lake townships.

Some municipalities decided to run early voting independently of the others.

* For example, early voters in Blair Township may cast their ballots from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Blair Township Hall, 2121 County Rd. 633, Grawn.

* Early voters in Garfield Township may cast their ballots from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Garfield Charter Township Hall, 3848 Veterans Dr.

* In Traverse City, early voters may cast their ballots from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Governmental Center, 400 Boardman Ave.

As on regular election day, early voters are required to present some form of photo identification when voting in person, such as a Michigan driver's license, state ID card, U.S. passport, military ID card and tribal ID card. Students may present a photo ID from a high school or accredited institution of higher learning. Those without a valid ID may also vote if they fill out the appropriate forms.

It's important to note that voters on regular election day, Feb. 27, must go to their normal polling places in each municipality.

To find out where you should vote in person on Feb. 27, visit the Michigan Voter Administration Center at https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index.

Disabled voters who required special assistance should contact the Grand Traverse County Clerk's office at (231) 922-476 immediately. All polling locations are handicap accessible and voting instructions are also available in audio and Braille.

Results from early voting will not be available until 8 p.m. on Election Day.