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By: Hannah Lentz 

[email protected] 

Absentee ballots have been going very well. Ottawa County has issued over 33,000 absentee ballots this year, which is an increase of about 4,000 ballots from 2012, when we issued 28,900 absentee ballots.

It is extremely important that young voters get out and vote on Election Day. The decisions that are being made today will directly affect their future. This is true both at the national level and at the local level. Michigan is electing much more than the President on Nov. 8, we’re also electing over 100 members of the State Legislature, 14 members of Congress, and judges at multiple levels. Each of these elections will shape the future of our state for years to come.

Funny story: 

In order to be counted, write-in candidates have to file prior to the election. Since we don’t keep track of write-in candidates who haven’t filed, I don’t know of any weird write-in candidates off hand, but we do get votes for Mickey Mouse once in a while.

Every election, we have a special process for helping military personnel and overseas citizens vote. This election we’ve received dozens of requests from all over the world. The furthest request I’ve seen, though, was during the Presidential Primary in March, when we had a request from an Ottawa County citizen in Antarctica.

Things to remember:  

– Vote early in the day, or at less popular times. The best time to vote is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m, and in the afternoon from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

– Michigan allows voters to vote without a photo ID if the voter does not have an ID on them when they go to vote. There are several valid forms of ID that will speed up the process for voters. The most common form of ID is a Michigan driver’s license. However, students can use their GVSU student IDs. Out of state students who have changed their residency to Allendale can also use out of state driver’s licenses to vote

– Do your homework before going to the polls. Electronic devices cannot be used in the polling place, so any research on a candidate has to be done before going to vote. Voters can find a copy of their ballot here: www.vote.michigan.gov

– Don’t worry if you have any questions or if you make a mistake on your ballot. Feel free to ask any election worker if you need assistance