Voting starts with voter registration. You must be registered to vote 30 days prior to an election to be eligible to take part in that election. Once registered, however, the rest is easy.
Beginning with the May 8, 2007 election, voters who live in Pere Marquette Charter Township south of the Pere Marquette River, will go to the Township hall to vote for ALL elections, including those for school board candidates and issues. These voters will no longer need to go to the South Summit School for school elections.
AND beginning with the May 8, 2007 election, voters who live between the Pere Marquette River and US 10 will also vote at the Township hall for ALL elections. These voters will no longer need to go to the Knights of Columbus Hall for school elections.
As a result, voters will always go to the same polling place, no matter what issues or candidates are on a ballot. Voters living north of US 10 will continue to vote at the Knights of Columbus Hall, and voters living south of US 10 will go to the Township hall.
If you have any questions, please call Clerk, Joanne Kelley, at 845-1277.
Pere Marquette has two precincts – 1 and 2. If you live north of US 10, you are in Precinct 2 and your polling place is at the Knights of Columbus Hall (301 N. Jebavy Drive). If you live south of US 10, you are in Precinct 1, and you vote at the Townhall (1699 S. Pere Marquette Highway).
When you arrive at the precinct, you will notice that there are posters on the walls, information telling you what will appear on the ballot, demonstration information about the voting process, and election inspectors to help you through the process.
The voting process requires the following steps:
· The voter completes an APPLICATION TO VOTE providing name, address, signature and date of birth.
· Photo I.D. is now required -- even if the election workers know you! This is one of the "heightened security" measures now required for the privilege of voting.
· The election inspector checks that information against the precinct list to assure that the voter is registered in that precinct.
· The next election inspectors provide a ballot to the voter and record the ballot number in the POLL BOOK.
· The voter proceeds to the booth, fills in the ovals on the ballot to vote his/her choices, and returns the ballot, encased in a secrecy sleeve, to the last election inspector. The inspector removes the numbered stub from the ballot. The ballot, still encased in a secrecy sleeve, is then handed back to the voter, who proceeds to and feeds the ballot into the tabulator.
As a voter, it is important that you:
· Study the candidates’ qualifications and views and make the most informed decision possible
· Study the merits of each ballot proposal
· Ask questions of the election inspectors if you are uncertain about the voting process
· Do not campaign at the polls or wear a candidate’s button, etc.
· Ask for assistance in voting if you have a special need
· Use the table at the end of the booths if you prefer to sit down while voting
· Ask for a new ballot if you make a mistake
· Read the information posted on the back wall of the voting booth
· Insert the ballot into the secrecy sleeve with just the stub exposed
· Return to the last election inspector to have the stub removed
· Proceed to the tabulator, remove the ballot from the sleeve, feed it into the tabulator
· Place the secrecy sleeve in the marked box next to the tabulator
SOME HINTS ABOUT MARKING OVALS
· Before you begin voting, read the instructions at the top of your ballot
· Use a black ink pen to fill in ovals
· Fill in the inside of the oval as fully as possible
· Following the names of the candidates for each office, there is a blank line, and an oval next to the line – that line is provided for write ins. Fill in the oval only if you have written in the name of a qualified write in candidate
Other questions? Please feel free to call Clerk, Joanne Kelley, at 845-1279 or send an email to joanne@pmtwp.org.