New absentee voting law has implications for FPS
Michigan has a new law governing absentee voting. This new law has implications for our school district’s May 7th bond proposal election.
Basically, the new law permits “no reason” absentee voting. In the past, registered voters needed a reason to cast an absent voter ballot. Now, any registered voter can cast an absent voter ballot.
Here’s what this means to Fitzgerald Public School District residents who are registered to vote: You can submit an Absent Voter Ballot Application to the Clerk’s Office where you reside and an absent voter ballot will be mailed to you. You can then vote from home or a temporary address without standing in line at the polls on May 7th.
Absent voter ballots for the May 7th bond proposal election will be available to voters after March 23. After that date registered voters can complete an Absent Voter Ballot Application and vote at the Clerk’s Office where they reside.
Here is a summary of the steps to voting by absentee ballot:
You must request an absent voter ballot by mailing a completed Michigan Absent Voter Ballot Application which you can obtain from your local Clerk’s Office or online at www.michigan.gov/vote. Mail or hand deliver your application to your city or township clerk. (To obtain the address of your city or township clerk, see www.michigan.gov/vote.)
Your request to have an absent voter ballot mailed to you must be received by your Clerk’s
Office no later than 5 p.m. on May 3rd.
Once your application for an absent voter ballot is received by the local clerk, your signature on the application will be checked against your voter registration record before an absent voter ballot is issued. You must be a registered voter to receive an absent voter ballot. Absent voter ballots may be issued to you at your home address or any address outside of your city or township of residence.
After receiving your absent voter ballot, you have until 8 p.m. on election day to complete the ballot and return it to the clerk’s office. Your ballot will not be counted unless your signature is on the return envelope and it matches your signature on file. If you received assistance completing your absent voter ballot, the signature of the person who helped you must also be on the return envelope. Only you, a family member, or a person residing in your household, a mail carrier, or election official is authorized to deliver your signed absent voter ballot to your Clerk’s Office.
As a reminder, the main purpose of Fitzgerald’s May 7th bond proposal is to remodel and upgrade Fitzgerald’s schools and school facilities. Approval of the bond proposal will allow the school district to enhance safety and security, replace roofs, lighting, and mechanical systems, update and remodel classrooms and the Planetarium, upgrade technology, and replace buses as they wear out.
To view a complete list of bond projects and other bond-related information, go to www.fitz.k12.mi.us and click on 2019 Bond Proposal. If you have questions or need more information, please contact any Fitzgerald Principal or Superintendent of Schools Laurie Fournier at 586/757-1750 or by email at laufou@myfitz.net.