Voters in nearly all Kalkaska County Townships will be turning in their ballots tomorrow. All townships except for Boardman Township have ballot questions. Clearwater Township Clerk Melinda Booy says she would love for more people to come out and use their voice.
“Having something that’s new and different on the ballot would create more interest and bring more people out to use their voice and vote.” Booy says.
Township and Village clerks in Kalkaska County will have a day busy tomorrow as nearly all voters in Kalkaska County have proposals to decide on. The Kalkaska County Clerk, Deborah Hill, says tomorrow will be a busy day for most of the county.
Voters in Clearwater Township have two proposals to decide on. One would increase the current Road Millage during it’s final year. They’ll also decide on the controversial Constable Millage which would see the Township hire their own police officer. Voters will also decide to renew millages for Kalkaska and Elk Rapids Schools.
“A lot of school districts are affected by this. It’s important for voters to get out and vote for those school proposals or millages,” Hill states.
Booy says even with absentee ballots, they expect a fair election and to announce the unofficial results less than an hour after polls close tomorrow.
“The machine tallies them for us throughout the day of Election Day, we’re putting in those absent voter ballots. Which again is the exact same process if you were here in person,” Booy explains. “We have a Republican and a Democrat. It’s someone who is an election inspector, they go as a team to input those and then they are recorded.”
Booy says the integrity of the elections was hugely impacted by the merger between the state’s and local government’s database.
“The Secretary of State puts in an address change or puts in anything form someone who turns 18, to someone who is then deceased. Those are immediate updates that come into our system so we can tell up to the minute who is able to vote here in Clearwater Township,” Booy conveys.
After polls close tomorrow and results are tallied up. Township officials will send the unofficial results to the County Clerks office. The County Clerk then prints the reports out to get ready for canvassers the following day.
People can register on election day at the Township Clerk’s office. In-person voters will cast their ballots at the Township Hall, while those filling out an absentee ballot can turn in their ballots at the Post Office or at the Township Hall drop box.
Booy is encouraging people in Clearwater to get out and vote.
“I can say from now running several elections here in Clearwater Township, it really is every vote matters. These are local issues, these are things that impact you. So, every person should be coming out and making their voice heard,” Booy says
Polls open tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
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