By David Fleet
Editor
Groveland Twp. — In just over a month voters statewide will begin to head to the polls for the February 2024 Presidential Primary.
Due to the passage of Proposal 2022-2, which was approved by Michigan voters in 2022, a constitutional amendment gives voters the right to vote early and in person at early voting sites before statewide and federal elections. It also requires that early voting sites must be open for nine consecutive days beginning on the second Saturday before the election and ending on the Sunday before the election, for at least eight hours each day.
On Dec. 11, the Groveland Township Board of Trustees voted 5-0 to establish the Groveland Township Office Building, 4695 Grange Hall Road for the designated early voting location. Groveland Township Clerk Jenell Keller is coordinating the upcoming election.
“Each municipality has the option for setting the times they are available with a required minimum of eight hours each day,” said Keller. “So if you are not a Groveland resident it is possible the times you are eligible for early voting may vary.”
The voting budget will look different next year, she added.
“It is very expensive,” said Keller. “We do have funds for the February election that will come back to us from the state. “Down the road we will run into that (extra costs) next year.”
Early voting will occur at the township office building from Saturday, Feb. 17 to Sunday, Feb. 25 where voters will be able to vote in-person and personally place their ballot in the tabulator. Hours of early voting will be between 8 a.m- 4 p.m., with the exception of Wednesday, Feb. 21 where voters may vote between the hours of 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Early Voting will also occur for both the August and November elections this year, and in the future will be available for any state or federal election, added Keller.
If electors opt out of early voting, they still have the option to receive an absent-voter ballot or may vote in-person between 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on the traditional election day, Feb. 27.