August primary election info for the Manchester area
by Sara Swanson
Michigan has a primary election coming up on Aug. 4. Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm. Primary elections for Democratic and Republican parties for Governor, US Senator, US Representative, State Senator, and State Representatives will be on the ballot as well as ballot proposals.
All registered voters can vote in primaries in Michigan but you will have to choose a Democratic or Republican ballot, you cannot vote on both. The winners of this primary will face off against each other (and candidates in from other political parties chosen in conventions and/or candidates running as independents) in the general election in November.
Not all races on the ballot are contested elections, but the Governor election is contested for both parties so you will have a choice to make in this race whether you choose to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary. Two other races in our area are contested, the US senate race on the Democratic ballot, and the District 15 state senator race on the Democratic ballot (in the City of Manchester, Manchester Township, and Bridgewater Township.)
Washtenaw Community College has a millage renewal proposal that will appear on all of the ballots in the Manchester area. In addition to that, voters who live in the Saline school district in Bridgewater Township, and voters who live in the Chelsea School District in Freedom and Sharon Townships will have multiple proposals on their ballots.
Some precincts will also select party delegates. In the Manchester area, delegate candidates in Freedom Township, Sharon Township, and the City of Manchester will appear on their Township’s Republican ballots.
You do not have to wait until August 4 to vote, but can choose to vote earlier. Absentee ballots will go out starting June 25 and can be returned any time between then and 8pm on Election Day. Alternatively, you can participate in early voting. Early voting will take place Saturday, July 25 through Sunday, August 2. The City of Manchester, Manchester Township, Freedom Township, and Sharon Township participate in the county’s coordinated early voting plan and their voters can vote early at Sylvan Township Hall, 18027 Old U.S. 12, south of Chelsea from 9am to 5pm, OR the Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center, 4135 Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor from 9am to 5pm. Bridgewater Township runs their own early voting and their residents can vote at the Bridgwater Township Hall, 10990 Clinton Rd. on Saturday, July 25; Monday, July 27; Wednesday, July 29; Friday, July 31; and Sunday, August 2 from noon to 8pm. Or they can vote on Sunday, July 26; Tuesday, July 28; Thursday, July 30; and Saturday, August 1 from 9am to 5pm.
If you aren’t yet registered to vote, its not too late!
Hayley Harding from Votebeat Michigan explains how to register to vote:
“Registering to vote in Michigan is relatively easy and very quick. If you have a Michigan driver’s license, the fastest way to do it is to register online. You’ll need to affirm you’re a U.S. citizen, a Michigan resident, and at least 18 years old (although those 16 to 17.5 can pre-register to vote). You’ll need to authorize the secretary of state’s office to use your stored signature — usually in the system from when you got your driver’s license — for your registration. From there, the hardest part is pulling out your wallet to input your driver’s license number. You’ll affirm your information as it appears on your license, input the last four digits of your Social Security number, and then answer a few more questions.
“Any eligible voters can also register by mail by printing and mailing in the forms here, which are available in a variety of languages.
“And finally, you can register in person by bringing a photo ID and proof of where you live to your local clerk’s office (located in the township hall of the township you live in, or if you live in the City of Manchester, the city office. Look up office hours before you go!) The deadline to register online or by mail and participate in the primary is 15 days before the election — which, for the upcoming primary election, is July 20. But you can still register in person at your clerk’s office after that — as late as Election Day itself.”
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