Early voting for presidential primary a “resounding success”

by Marsha Chartrand

The 2024 Presidential Primary held some new features that Michigan voters, especially Manchester voters, had not experienced in past elections.

Of course, one of the big changes to Manchester elections was the division — for the first time since 2010 — of Manchester Township and Manchester City polling places. This caused some minor confusion for a small number of voters but due to the polling sites being in relatively close proximity, it was pretty easily resolved. Not all voters were pleased to have to declare their party preference publicly in the voting line, but again, that is a necessity in a primary election.

The most significant difference this year was the availability of early voting for all Michigan voters. There were voting sites open for all electors on the nine consecutive days preceding Election Day on February 27. Most of Manchester's voters — City of Manchester, and the townships of Manchester, Sharon, and Freedom, were consolidated with eight other western Washtenaw precincts at the Sylvan Township Hall. A total of 373 voters voted at that venue during the nine-day early voting window. Five votes were received from City of Manchester voters, nine from Manchester Township, 17 from Freedom Township, and 18 from Sharon — indicating that the closer to Sylvan the voters lived, the more likely they may have been to utilize this opportunity rather than use an absentee ballot or simply wait until Feb. 27.

Bridgewater Township chose to do its own early voting and had 47 voters take advantage of this opportunity over the nine-day period.

Edward Golembewski, Register & Director of Elections for Washtenaw County, noted that the county had a “resounding success” in the early voting turnout, highlighting;

• the largest countywide early voting turnout as a percentage of registered voters among the state’s 10 largest counties (and greater than all counties > 166,000 voters)
• 4th highest number of early voting ballots cast among all 83 counties (following only Wayne, Oakland, Macomb)
• highest single jurisdiction early turnout, statewide (City of Ann Arbor, exceeding even Detroit.

“Voters were enthusiastic about the new voting method, based on first-hand observations of county clerk staff who oversaw 5 early voting sites over 9 days,” Golembewski added. “Early voting turnout is expected to grow from this current baseline as the 2024 election cycle progresses.”

mLive reported that more than 2,700 people voted in Ann Arbor using the new process at the city's six early voting sites over nine days of early voting. “The town outpaced all cities in the state, including Detroit, which is about five times bigger and had 14 early voting sites,” according to an article published on Feb. 27.

In total, more than 78,000 Michigan voters statewide cast ballots at early voting centers ahead of the Feb. 27 presidential primary.

In the City of Manchester, Clerk Brittany Kuhnle reported that a total of 540 votes were cast in person and by absentee on Election Day. She indicated that the process went fairly smoothly for everyone involved being “new” and said that training provided by the county had been helpful. She also said that everyone had learned a lot and that there will be changes made before the August election.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement prior to the election, “It’s inspiring to see Michigan citizens active and engaged in this presidential primary. Michigan voters have turned out in record numbers to cast an absentee ballot or to vote at an early voting site for the first time in our state’s history.”

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.