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September 27, 2023
For Immediate Release
Media Contact
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners approved a plan presented by Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck in collaboration with 23 City and Township Clerks to provide a uniform and consistent early voting plan for all Ottawa County residents in next year's election cycle.
Proposal 2022-2, which passed in November of 2022, amended the Michigan Constitution to provide the right to a minimum 9-day period of early voting prior to every state or federal election. The constitutional amendment places the responsibility of funding and operating early voting on city and township clerks across the state, but does allow for collaborative agreements between municipal and county clerks as well as municipal to municipal agreements for the conduct of early voting.
Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck stressed the importance of three main elements in the early voting plan:
- security
- customer service
- cost effectiveness
"Proposal 22-2 significantly changes the options available to our voters, and our goal is to ensure integrity in the process while we look for the most cost-efficient ways to provide these new services to our customers," said Roebuck. "Early voting will be a great option for our voters, and we are so excited to work collaboratively with all of our municipal clerks to ensure a smooth and secure process for them."
The Ottawa County Early Voting Plan calls for four vote centers in separate regions of the county, where any voter may participate during the nine days leading up to state or federal elections next year. County and local clerk staff will be working in the weeks ahead to provide full details and communication to ensure that all voters are aware of their options to participate.
After discussion on the proposed early voting agreement over the past several months, all 23 local jurisdictions in Ottawa County have voted to approve the plan, making the County Board of Commissioners' vote the final seal of approval.
Allendale Township Clerk Jody Hansen stressed the benefits of the agreement for her residents, and the County as a whole. "Partnering together provides county-wide continuity, enhances voting convenience, reinforces the sanctity that our clerks place on the integrity of elections, and provides incredible financial savings for all Ottawa County voters," she said.
Hudsonville City Clerk Jill Gruppen says that the collaborative plan eliminates pressure on local election officials to staff and manage the process on their own. "By working with the County for early voting, not only will there be a larger pool of election inspectors to choose from, but other local clerk responsibilities will be shared collaboratively during the nine days before the election, giving us more time to serve our voters leading up to Election Day."
Media Contact:
Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County Clerk/Register or Deeds
616-994-4537
jroebuck@miottawa.org
@OCClerkRegister
@OttawaElections
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