With the Aug. 3 primary less than two weeks away and plenty at stake, local officials are gearing up for a long election day.
‘We’re expecting a high turnout,? said Orion Township Clerk Penny Shults. ‘We’re prepared.?
Representatives from the Oakland County clerk’s office were holding a workshop for election inspectors in Orion on Tuesday, and the township will host its own workshop for mandatory training of election inspectors July 22.
Shults said several issues were of critical concern to Orion voters as they prepare to cast a ballot.
First, the precinct 11 polling location, for the Aug. 3 primary only, is changed to Orion Oaks Elementary School, located at 1255 Joslyn Road.
Sample ballots are also available in the clerk’s office or at the township website for any voter who wishes to have a look prior to the election.
In the past, sample ballots have been sent to voters in the township.
‘We saved $5,000 by not doing that mass mailing,? said Shults. ‘If people want to see the ballot ahead of time, it’s definitely available.?
It’s also important to note the ballot is two-sided, she pointed out.
‘Everyone’s voice matters,? Shults said. ‘There’s so much at stake in this election; we can change the whole nature of the way our state is run.?
Absent Voter Ballots (AVB) are available now in the clerk’s office.
AVBs can be mailed back through Saturday, July 31.
The clerk’s office, located at 2525 Joslyn Road, will be open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. July 31 for absent voter balloting only. Voters may also vote an AVB in the clerk’s office, Monday, Aug. 2, until 4 p.m. Call the clerk’s office at 248-391-0304 ext.104 or visit www.orion.lib.mi.us/township/clerksoffice.

Representative Districts for Orion Township include:
-U.S. House of Representatives District 8 (precincts 1-7, 10, 12-13) and 9 (precincts 8-9, 11, 14): In the 8th District, both incumbent Republician candidate Mike Rogers and his Democratic party counterpart, Kande Ngalamulume, are unopposed.
It’s a different story in the 9th District, with Republician candidates Paul Welday, Anna Janek, Richard D. Kuhn and Rocky Raczkowski (formerly Andrew Edward Raczkowski) vying for a November run against unopposed Democrat Gary Peters.
-State Senate District 12: (all precincts): Candidates include Jim Marleau, Copper Rizzo (formerly Robert Scott Rizzo), Kim Russell, Gene Taliercio, John Garfield and Lois Golden on the Republician side. Ted Golden and Casandra E. Ulbrich will face off in the Democratic column.
State House District 46: (all precincts): Candidates include Republicans Daniel Myslakowski, Gary Warner and Bradford C. Jacobsen, along with lone Democrat David Jay Lillis.
County Commissioner District 3: The seat is uncontested in the primary, with incumbent Republician Michael J. Gingell on one side and Democrat John Bingham, Jr. on the other.
Judge of Probate Court: candidates include Barbara B. Murphy, Kathleen Ryan, Jamie Marie Verdi, J. Martin Brennan and Dana Margaret Hathaway.
While no Orion-specific proposals appear on the Aug. 3 ballot, voters will be asked to decide on two county issues: Oakland County Parks is seeking a 10-year renewal of its millage, set at .2415 mills, and Oakland Community College is also asking for a renewal of its current millage, set at .7811 mills.
Gubernatorial candidates include Tom George, Pete Hoekstra, Rick Snyder, Mike Bouchard and Mike Cox on the Republican ticket, and Andy Dillon and Virg Bernero on the Democrat side.
More election coverage next week