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Elections
A primary duty of the Clerk is election management and voter registration.
Upcoming Elections: n/a
Proposal 2022-2, passed by voters in November 2022, added early voting and other new election policies to the Michigan Constitution. Eight bills implementing those procedures were signed by the governor in July 2023 but also did not receive immediate effect.
The lack of immediate effect for these items and other elections-related measures meant that they would not take effect until 90 days had passed from the date of the legislature's adjournment for the year (also known as "sine die" adjournment).
The legislature adjourned sine die on November 14. This means that the 2024 Presidential Primary will take place February 27, 2024, and the provisions in the Proposal 2022-2 package will take effect February 13, 2024.
Before adjourning, the legislature passed a Proposal 2022-2 "clean-up bill" that addresses some concerns that have arisen since the passage of the early voting bill, Public Act 81 of 2023/Senate Bill 367. Once it is signed by the governor, House Bill 4695 will do all of the following:
- Clarify that there must be at least 3 election inspectors per EV site (not 3 per precinct at the site)
- Give greater flexibility for balancing the number of voters in the EV EPBs against the number of voters on the tabulators (in cases where EV EPBs and tabulators aren't paired; the total just has to balance)
- Remove the requirement that AV ballots to be processed at an EV site be kept in a locked room (given that there wouldn't be any to-be-processed AV ballots at an EV site)
- Require that the room where the EV site is located be locked rather than the building
- Require election inspectors to generate either a totals or a summary tape following the close of polls on Election Day (instead of just totals tape)
- Require that after the close of polls on Election Day, election inspectors use the write-in report produced by the tabulator or the write-in votes indicated on ballots to tally the early voting write-in votes
Finally, the legislature passed several other bills that are relevant to clerks, including the following:
Challenged Ballots (Public Act 184 of 2023/House Bill 4567)
Currently, if a voter registers 14 days or fewer before an election without a driver's license/state ID to prove residency, or if the voter doesn't have ID for election purposes, the voter's ballot is prepared as a challenged ballot. The bill would remove this "challenged ballot" provision. (Takes effect February 13, 2024.)
Precinct size (Senate Bills 572 and 573)
PA 88 (HB 4702), which was part of the Prop 2 package, increased precinct size to 5,000, but did not receive immediate effect (meaning it would have taken effect 91 days after the legislature adjourns for the year, or too late to redraw precincts). SBs 572 and 573 bills set the maximum precinct size at 4,999, and did receive immediate effect, meaning they will take effect when the governor signs them. Because the deadline to finalize early voting sites is 60 days before an election, or December 29, the deadline to redraw precincts will also be on that date.
Precinct inspector app (Senate Bill 385)
Allows clerks to accept election inspector applications through an online portal or other electronic means. (Takes effect 91 days after it is signed by the governor.)
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Please see Michigan Secretary of State, Election website or use the link at the right of this page to view your ballot.
Regular voting takes place at the Township Hall from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm.
For more information regarding elections please click on the links below. Michigan does have a voter identification requirement at the polls. Voters are asked to present an acceptable photo ID such as a Michigan driver's license or identification card. Please note that voters who do not have an acceptable form of ID or failed to bring it with them to the polls still can vote. They simply sign a brief affidavit stating that they are not in possession of a photo ID. Their ballots are included with all others and counted on Election Day.
Absentee Voting
Federal Voter Assist Program for military citizens (THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!) and for overseas citizens.
Absentee Voter Application Request (AVAR) (updated for each election)
Please mail your completed Absentee Voter Application to:
Blue Lake Township Clerk
10599 Twin Lake Rd NE
Mancelona, MI 49659
Other options for Absentee Voter Application requests: You may drop by the Township office for the Clerk to print you one, you may email or phone the clerk to mail you one or you have the option to be on the permanent absentee voter list and the Clerk will automatically mail you a request about 45 days before each election. *Please keep your address to mail out the Absent Ballot Request form updated with the Clerk - otherwise the request will be sent to your regular Blue Lake Township address* The County Clerk has AVAR forms as well.
Early Voting
Proposal 2 of 2022 passed resulting in 9 days of in-person early voting. Early voting will be available beginning with the presidential primary in 2024 and every statewide and federal election thereafter. As more information becomes available, it will be posted here. You may also go to: www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/early-in-person-voting for more details.
Please visit the following link to learn more about Michigan elections: https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections