How Early Voting will work in the Manchester Area

by Sara Swanson

In addition to the option to vote with an absentee ballot, all Michigan voters now have the right to vote early in person during nine full days prior to every state and federal election. With the presidential primary coming up on Tuesday, February 27, does that mean you can show up a week early to vote in person at your usual voting location? No … or at least not everyone in the Manchester area will be able to.

Voters in the City of Manchester, Manchester Township, Freedom Township, and Sharon Township will not be able to vote early in their usual polling location. They are all participating in the Washtenaw County–Coordinated Early Voting Plan and voters in their precincts will have two early voting sites to choose from: a “Regional” site, Sylvan Township Hall, and the county “Central” site, Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center in Ann Arbor. Sylvan Township Hall is located at 18027 Old US 12, south of Chelsea. Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center is located at 4135 Washtenaw Ave in Ann Arbor. Voting at these two sites will run Saturday, February 17, through Sunday, February 25, daily from 9am to 5pm. 

Bridgewater Township is administering its own Early Voting Plan and is holding early voting at its usual polling place, Bridgewater Township Hall, located at 10990 Clinton Rd. Bridgewater Township voters can vote there in person on Saturday, February 17, and Sunday, February 18, from noon to 8pm; Monday, February 19, and Tuesday, February 20, from 9am to 5pm; Wednesday, February 21, from noon to 8pm; Thursday, February 22, from 9am to 5pm; Friday, February 23, from noon to 8pm; and Saturday, February 24, and Sunday, February 25, from 9am to 5pm.

Postcards with the above information have been mailed to all registered voters in the Manchester area. Voters who want to participate in early in-person voting must visit an Early Voting site assigned to them.

Voting on election day will happen at the usual polling places for most Manchester area voters: Bridgewater Township Hall for Bridgewater Township voters, Freedom Township Hall for Freedom Township voters, Sharon Township Hall for Sharon Township voters, and Manchester Township Hall for Manchester Township voters. Voters who live in the City of Manchester will, however, be voting in a new location on election day.

In addition to the postcard about early voting locations from the County, City of Manchester voters should also be receiving a postcard from the City alerting them to the fact that instead of voting at Manchester Township Hall, their new polling location is City Hall located at 912 City Rd. Voting will be located on the lower level, accessible from the lower parking lot.

For more information on early voting visit https://www.washtenaw.org/3970/Early-Voting or contact your Township’s office (or the City office for City voters).

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.