KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo County is reporting a significant increase in absentee ballots for the March 10 election.
New voting regulations allow the utilization of no-reason absentee ballot voting, plus same-day voter registration. The latter is credited with the long lines of younger voters who turned out Tuesday night.
The last voter was registered after 11 p.m.
By 8:45 p.m., over 20,000 absentee votes were filed in Kalamazoo County. At this time, those votes are still being factored in, with the Kalamazoo County website claiming that the current results are unofficial at this time.
Kalamazoo County Clerk Tim Snow said in an interview that the absentee votes make up around 13% of registered voters.
These new voting provisions were passed by Michigan voters under Proposal 3 in 2018, otherwise known as “Promote the Vote.”
The provisions, which add new rights to voting, can be viewed in full below. Voters have a right to:
- A secret ballot.
- Timely distribution of absentee ballots to military personnel or those living overseas.
- Straight-party voting.
- Automatic registration.
- Registration by mail up to 15 days before an election.
- In-person registration extended to Election Day with proof of residency.
- No-reason absentee voting.
- Statewide audit of election results.
Although the results are listed as unofficial, the majority vote has still come in for the Kalamazoo County metro transit millage, which was approved by a wide margin before factoring in absentee votes.
More information on the ballot proposals in Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties can be found here.
