Voting absentee in the August 4th election
All Manchester area registered voters have an election coming up August 4th. With Covid-19 discouraging many residents from public gatherings, some voters may decide to take advantage of the new voting rules that allow any Michigan voters to vote with an absentee ballot.
Because of the pandemic, all registered voters should receive an absentee ballot application in the mail automatically for the 2020 elections, but if it gets lost in the mail or you accidentally recycled it, don’t worry; you can print out an absentee ballot application from online at michigan.gov/vote. Applications, whether mailed to you or printed from online, need to be filled out, signed, and returned to your township clerk. They can be mailed to your clerk (you must address and stamp the envelope), dropped off, or you can scan the filled-out form and e-mail it to your clerk. The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the August 4th election is July 31–this means that this is when your clerk needs to receive the application by so if you are mailing your application, factor in enough time for the application to be handled by the post office.
Once your clerk receives your correctly filled out and signed application, they will mail you an absentee ballot. You can fill out and return the ballot through the mail or drop it off in person, up until 8 pm on election day. If mailing, you need use two stamps, (one first class stamp is not enough), and you need to factor in enough time for the ballot to be handled by the post office. The receipt of your actual ballot is what matters, not the postmark date. Your ballot must be received by the clerk before 8 pm on August 4th in order to be counted.
If you want to receive an application to vote absentee before every election, going forward, you can add your name to the Permanent Absent Voter List. You can do this by checking a box on the absentee voter application mailed to you automatically this spring, or by filling the form out online at Washtenaw.org/voters, or by mailing or emailing a signed letter to your township clerk asking to be added to the list. Adding your name does not mean a ballot will automatically be mailed to you—just an application. It also does not commit you to voting absentee in every future election; it just means an application will be mailed to you without you having to request one each time.
In Michigan, absentee ballots are counted at the close of the polls and are represented in the final vote counts.
Do you want to return your absentee ballot application or ballot in person to your township clerk, or do you have questions? Find your township office and clerk below:
BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP TOWN HALL: 10990 Clinton Road
517-315-7545
Regular business hours: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 2nd from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, August 4th from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tom Wharam, Clerk bridgewatertwpclerk@yahoo.com
FREEDOM TOWNSHIP TOWN HALL: 11508 Pleasant Lake Road, Manchester, MI 48158
734-428-7545 ext.2
Clerk: Valisa Bristle, vlbristle@yahoo.com
Regular business hours by appointment
Saturday, August 1st from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, August 4th from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP TOWN HALL: 275 S. Macomb St., Manchester, MI 48158
734-428-7090
Clerk: Danell Proctor, mtwp_clerk@sbcglobal.net
Regular business hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, and Fri from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Saturday, August 1st from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, August 4th from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
SHARON TOWNSHIP TOWN HALL: 18010 W. Pleasant Lake Rd., Manchester, MI 48158
734-428-7591
Clerk: Kimberly Potocki, sharontownshipclerk@gmail.com
Regular business hours: Thurs 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and by appointment
Saturday, August 1st from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, August 4th from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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