Clerks prepare for early voting ahead of Election Day

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — With the hotly-contested November presidential general election just five weeks away, county clerks are among the many election officials preparing poll workers for Nov. 5.

“We’re pretty well at a frantic and furious pace when you talk about work in the county clerk’s office and at your local clerk level,” said Allegan County Clerk Bob Genetski.

The November election is the first presidential election in which Michigan residents will have the option to vote early in person, with state laws requiring at least nine days.

The first election under the new rule was February’s presidential primary .

Genetski said in 2022, he trained 683 election inspectors. Under the new rules, there’s a greater need for more poll workers. He’s thankful there has been a large turnout of people interested in taking part in the process.

“There’s a great need with the 27 days of early voting that will occur this year … if you include the presidential primary, the August primary we just had and the November election. But with that great need, we’ve seen just an awful lot of really good people in Allegan County,” said Genetski.

That pool of poll workers come from from a diverse political pool, from Republicans to Democrats.

In Kalamazoo County, Clerk Meredith Place said there’s been strong support for early voting, making it easy for local election officials to find poll workers.

“We’ve heard from local clerks already that they have their shifts filled for Election Day and they’re actually sharing with the other local clerks names of interested individuals who may be able to work in a different jurisdiction. So we are, you know, we’re feeling really good going into November,” she said.

Kalamazoo officials will host four locations for early in-person voting for most voters.

Along with the in-person option, voters also have the absentee ballot option. Genetski said voters frequently ask when they can expect their absentee ballots. They are in the mail after a few court-related delays.

“We were delayed by both statewide court case as to whether or not Robert Francis Kennedy would still on the ballot. And then we were delayed in Allegan County with a county clerk’s court case relative to a county commissioner being on the ballot or not. That one was resolved a week ago from last Friday,” he said.

Tracking that ballot can be as simple search on the state’s Voter Information website , Place said.

“I saw that my absentee ballot was sent on Sept. 26. It was in my mail on Saturday. I have it and the next date that would go into that tracking system then would be the date that the local clerk receives it,” she said.

Amid the shuffle ahead of November, both clerks are prepared to reassure voters that their ballots and the election are safe.

“Our election inspectors are committed to making sure that every legally-registered U.S. citizen who lives in that jurisdiction has the opportunity, has a ballot, and that that ballot counts no more, no less than anybody else,” Genetski said.

Clerks are also aiming for transparency.

“There is a paper trail backup for everything. You know, there is a chain of custody for all election materials,” said Place.

“We also remind voters who are interested or curious in the election process that the election process is public,” she added.

On Oct. 17, clerks will be testing tabulators in a public logic and accuracy test, she said.

“Voting as it takes place during the early voting period and on Election Day, as well as the tabulation of absentee ballots. Those are done by trained election inspectors. There’s also an opportunity for challengers and the public to watch every single one of those process processes,” Place said.

KALAMAZOO VOTING LOCATIONS

Kalamazoo County officials will open four voting locations for early in-person voting later this month. Those locations include

• Kalamazoo County Expo Center at 2900 Lake St. in Kalamazoo
• Fetzer Center on the campus of Western Michigan University at 2251 Business Ct. in Kalamazoo
• Portage Parks and Recreation Department 320 Library Ln. in Portage
• Douglass Community Association at 1000 W. Paterson St. in Kalamazoo

Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3 for most voters besides Pavilion Charter Township residents.

“I think early voting is valuable to every voter, whether you’re in a large jurisdiction or a small jurisdiction, early voting really affords the voter another opportunity to have their voice heard right, they don’t have to wait until Election Day to see a ballot go through a tabulator,” said Place.

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