KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County elections officials are finalizing a collaborative early voting agreement with local jurisdictions in the county to begin with the 2024 elections.
A ballot question approved by Michigan voters in 2022 established in-person voting for a minimum of nine days in federal and state elections. Kalamazoo County Clerk/Register of Deeds Meredith Place says in the county, 18 out of 19 local city and township clerks expressed a preference for entering into a county agreement.
The Kalamazoo County Early Voting Agreement includes plans for four early voting sites, pending contractual agreements with the venues. State grant funding will subsidize to some extent the costs of equipment, facilities, and election workers, shared proportionally by the participating cities and townships.
“A county agreement, especially for smaller jurisdictions, is the most cost-effective way to administer early voting,” said Shannon Stutz, City of Parchment Clerk. “The costs of staffing the vote center alone would be quite high for a municipality our size, and even with multiple sites throughout the county, the ability to share expenses and administrative work with local partners makes this the best approach for us instead of having 19 different plans.”
Beginning in 2024, voters residing in the following jurisdictions will be able to vote at any county Early Voting site during the nine-day early voting period before state and federal elections:
Alamo Township
Brady Township
Charleston Township
Climax Township
Comstock Township
Cooper Township
City of Galesburg
City of Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Charter Township
Oshtemo Charter Township
City of Parchment
City of Portage
Prairie Ronde Township
Richland Township
Ross Township
Schoolcraft Township
Texas Charter Township
Wakeshma Township
Place says Pavilion Charter Township elected to conduct early voting as a single municipality, and voters from Pavilion Charter Township will be able to vote at their Township Hall.
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