Residents 18 and older who are not yet registered to vote must register by Jan. 30 in order to vote in the Feb. 28 presidential primary election.
Registration can take place at the clerk’s office, bring photo identification. The Brandon Township clerk’s office is located at 395 Mill St., Ortonville; Groveland Township clerk’s office is at 4695 Grange Hall Road; and the Atlas Township clerk’s office is located at 7386 S. Gale Road.
Registered voters who are applying for absentee ballots need to mark on the application that they are a U.S. citizen and must also specify whether they would like a Democratic or Republican ballot.
‘When you vote in person at the polls, you will also have to choose which ballot,? explained Brandon Township Clerk Jeannie McCreery. ‘You can’t vote in both primaries.?
On the Democratic ballot, there will be three choices? current President Barack Obama, uncommitted, and write-in. On the Republican ballot, there are 11 choices, although several listed candidates have withdrawn. The candidates on the Republican ballot are Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Fred Karger, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Buddy Roemer, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
Absentee ballot applications can be submitted until 2 p.m., Feb. 25. Absentee ballots must be received by 4 p.m., Feb. 27 at the clerk’s office.
McCreery said she recently sent out more than 900 absentee ballot applications to township residents who are on a permenent absentee voter list and several have already been returned.