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An outside shot of City Hall, Olivet’s only polling place, located at 117 South Main St. Photo taken by Jack Webb.
This information will act as a guide to the voting process, including the roles of the local officers, voting registration procedures, and what Election Day will look like. Voters are important to this process, but the people behind the scenes also play a crucial role as well.
Election Day
Tuesday, Nov. 5 will be a busy day for everyone involved, with polls opening at 7 a.m. The Election Officials Manual outlines many rules and procedures that are followed during that day.
A question that first-time voters may have is what happens when they vote in-person. “The voter would go to the correct precinct, fill out an application to vote, an election worker will look you up in the EPB (Electronic Poll Book) laptop and issue a ballot to you if you have not already received one, and you are a registered voter there,” said Amy Huepenbecker, the clerk for the city of Olivet.
“The voter would take their ballot to an open voting booth and fill out their ballot. When completed, the ballot would be placed back in the secrecy sleeve and taken to the tabulator. The voter would feed the ballot into the tabulator and wait to make sure there were no issues with the ballot markings before leaving,” Huepenbecker said.
Once the ballot is fully through the tabulator, the voting process, from the perspective of the voter, is truly complete. A voter is prohibited from leaving the area with any piece of the ballot on their person, and it is the job of the election inspectors to make sure this doesn’t happen.
The manual also lists other forms of voting that could make it easier for voters. The first is curbside voting, which allows people to fill out a ballot from the comfort of their car.
The second is provisional ballot voting, which is used by voters who think that they are eligible to vote, but their name doesn’t show up on any voter lists.
The third and fourth are provisional affidavit and envelop voting. The former comes into play if the voter is not on the voting list but does have some form of identification, while the latter is for people who don’t have some form of identification.
Election inspectors are one of the most important roles during Election Day. The manual says that election inspectors “oversee voting in Election Day polling places and early voting sites. They open the polls, staff the polls during voting hours, and canvass the precinct results after the polls close.”
They also have the tall task of “maintaining the peace” during Election Day and making sure that voters don’t have any external distractions or any unnecessary forms of pressure.
Challengers are also a part of the Election Day process. According to the manual, they can be provided by parties and organizations, and their main objective is to keep a close eye on the election process and raise any challenges if necessary.
One of the examples of a challenge that the manual lists is that of someone’s eligibility to vote, but they can also challenge parts of the process themselves.
Another role, the challenger liaison, also deals with challengers, but in a more direct fashion. They answer any questions challengers have, and act as the receiver for any challenges made to the process.
Poll watchers, another role that people play during Election Day. The manual says that “Poll watchers are subject to all of the restrictions as credentialed challengers. In addition, poll watchers cannot issue challenges, leave the designated public viewing area, or stand behind election inspectors as voters are processed.”
Closing the Polls
The polls close at 8 p.m., and anyone in line at 8 p.m. may vote.
Huepenbecker said that “After it is announced that the polls are closed, the tabulator goes through the process of tabulation and printing result tapes. Results are sent to county. Election workers verify the tapes, reports are run, election workers distribute the proper reports and tapes to specific envelopes and the Poll Book and other materials are placed in a certified ballot bag and sealed. There must always be a Democrat and a Republican signing any paperwork. Certain election material must be delivered to Eaton County Clerk’s office the night of the election.”
Local Officials
The state of Michigan has what the Election Officials Manual calls a “decentralized” system. This means that instead of having a handful of officers statewide that take up the job of overseeing and managing our elections, a lot of those responsibilities go to several roles at many levels.
At the top of this system is Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who acts as the “chief election officer.”
Below the Secretary of State are the Board of State Canvassers, which are comprised of two Democrats and two Republicans. They have several responsibilities, such as styling election ballots, approving election equipment, and certifying elections from across the state.
After the Board of State Canvassers is the Bureau of Elections. According to the manual, the Bureau of Elections “accepts and reviews petition filings, conducts statewide instructional programs on elections, assists local election officials with their administrative duties, oversees the operation of Michigan’s Qualified Voter File system, publishes manuals and newsletters, and monitors legislation affecting the administration of elections.”
At the county level, the highest officers are the county clerks. “County Clerks serve as the designated filing official for county offices and school board elections for those districts within the county lines,” said Diana Bosworth, Eaton County clerk.
The final office is the County Election Commission, which according to the manual, is “composed of the county clerk, the chief judge of probate of the county or probate court district, and the county treasurer.”
After that commission, cities and townships have their own clerks, election commissioners, and board of canvassers.
Registration
Registering to vote is a crucial first step when it comes to the voting process. The Election Officials Manual says that people need to meet a certain criterion in order to be eligible to vote. Each voter needs to be a resident of Michigan, a resident of their city or township for at least one month, 18-years-old by Election Day, and not currently incarcerated.
If a voter wants to change their registration or register for the first time, they can do so until 8 p.m. on Election Day through their clerk.
Voters also need to have identification and proof of residency with them at the poll. If they have something that has their picture and address listed, the voter should be good to go.
However, the manual does make it clear that voters can sign something called an Affidavit of Voter Not in Possession of Photo Identification, and that would exempt them from needing a photo ID.
Comet Voice
Registering to vote is really the first step in the voting process. Comet Voice, an organization at the University of Olivet, seems to think so as well. Mariah Powell, a sophomore, helped create the organization this semester.
“The purpose of Comet Voice is to get students informed about voting and get them registered,” Powell said.
The absentee ballot drop box outside of City Hall, at 117 South Main St. Photo take by Jack Webb.
Absentee Voting
After one registers to vote, they have the choice to apply for an absentee ballot. According to the Election Officials Manual, a registered voter must submit a written request, either a physical copy or over e-mail, to their city clerk. If the written request has the name and signature of the voter that requests it, as well as some form of photo ID, the request is valid, and the clerk must give the person their absentee ballot as soon as they can.
Absentee ballots must be returned by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Those who are in line can still theoretically get and fill out an absentee ballot while they are at the polling place.
Furthermore, the manual adds that the voters can also submit a request for an absentee ballot at michigan.gov/vote before 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election. All they’ll need is a driver’s license or state ID that has relevant information to the voter’s identity, as well as a signature.
Early Voting
Voters can also decide to send in their ballot early. According to Eaton County Clerk Bosworth, a proposal passed in 2022 allowing voters to cast ballots at least nine days before Election Day for all local, state, and federal elections.
The Election Officials Manual also makes it clear that the polls must be open for at least eight hours a day during that period. For Eaton County residents, and for those not in Delta or Windsor Township (who are not a part of the county agreement), this early voting concludes on Nov. 3. To vote early, go to the Carmel Township Hall, located at 661 Beech Highway on the northern outskirts of Charlotte.
Written by Jack Webb