What is the difference between a primary and a general election?

In a primary, the members of each party nominate candidates of their party for the general election. Voters may vote for candidates in one party only.

In a general election, all voters elect officials from the party nominees and independent candidates. Voters may vote for candidates in more than one party.

How do I establish which party’s ballot I am entitled to vote in the primary election?

Under Michigan law, you do not have to make a choice until you enter the voting station.

You may vote the ballot of any political party, but vote for candidates of one political party only. If you vote in more than one partisan section of the ballot in the primary, the partisan portion of the ballot will be rejected.  In a general election, you may vote for candidates in more than one party.

When I vote, will I spoil my ballot if I fail to vote for one segment of the ballot?

No. You could receive a ballot with numerous candidates and proposals for consideration, and vote for just one person of one office. Your single vote for that candidate will count. Further, when you are given a choice of voting for "not more than four" candidates for a certain office, you don’t have to vote for four. You could withhold your vote for some, and vote for some (or none).

Will we have to learn how to use a new voting device in the near future?

The future is HERE!  Punch cards are out!   We used optical scan tabulators starting with the August 2, 2005 election, and voters reported that the new voting process was easier than they expected. 

The optical scan system has many advantages for voters.  The voter receives a paper ballot, and votes that ballot by filling in an oval for each candidate and/or proposal.  After an inspector removed the numbered stub, the voter then takes his/her ballot to an optical scan tabulator and feeds the ballot into a slot (like inserting a dollar bill into a pop machine).  The votes are electronically recorded within the tabulator.  If a voter has over-voted (for example, selected two candidates when only one can be selected), the tabulator alerts the voter that there is an error on the ballot.  The voter then has an opportunity to request another ballot.  At the end of the voting day, the election inspectors close the polls, verify the total number of voters for the day, and take the electronic results to the courthouse for final tally.

Other questions? Please feel free to call Clerk, Joanne Kelley, at 845-1279 or send an email to joanne@pmtwp.org.