By KEN WYATT
Contributing Writer
Since the 2024 presidential election, Michigan voters have been allowed to cast their votes early. From a state website: “The early voting period takes place for a minimum of nine consecutive days, ending on the Sunday before an election. Communities may decide to provide additional days of early voting, up to 28 days total.”
Jackson County did staff those elections, but has decided against continuing to do it. Now each township must decide whether to handle the early voting with its own staff or partner with other townships to do so.
Concord Township Clerk Terri Butts presented the board with a 12-page, three-township contract for approval of a partnership for early voting at their meeting earlier this week. After discussion, it was approved.
Concord, Pulaski and Parma clerks have agreed in principle to join forces for early voting. That spares each township from having to hire people to staff nine early-voting days each separately. Instead, the three townships will each pay a third of the expenses of the system. The estimates are that early voting will cost about $16,000, but that does not include some expenses yet to be determined.
Concord will host the early voting. The contract, however, must be approved by all three of the townships.
