On Aug. 4, Michigan voters will vote in the primary election to determine which candidates will be on the ballot for the general election on Nov. 3. This year’s primaries include state and local elections with votes determining the next Senator, Governor, Mayor of Flint and Office of City Council representatives for Flint wards one, two, five and eight.
One seat in the Senate for Michigan is up for election during the primaries. These candidates include Democrats Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens and Republican Mike Rogers.
Currently, there are four candidates running for the Governor seat in the primaries. The candidates include Democrats Jocelyn Benson and Chris Swanson, and Republicans John James and Perry Johnson.
The Mayor of Flint is a nonpartisan four-year position. This means that the two candidates with the most votes in the primaries, regardless of their policies, will be allowed to remain on the ballot for the general election. The current candidates include: current Mayor Sheldon A. Neely, Tonya Burns, Micaiah J. Owens and Roshanda Womack.
The Office of City Council is also a four-year nonpartisan position. For Ward 1, the candidates are Debra J. Coleman, Cynthia Haynes and Arthur Woodson.
For Ward 2, the candidates are Maurice D. Davis, LaQuindra Hodge, LaShawn Johnson, Ladel Lewis and Audrey Young.
For Ward 5, the candidates are Joel Arnold, Wantwaz Davis, Jeron Dotson and DeWaun E. Robinson. Ward 8 candidates are Ezekiel Harris, Brandan Jamison and Casey Lester.
To vote in the primary election, voters who meet the criteria must register by Aug. 4 at 8 p.m. at the latest. Residents can register to vote online, by mail or in person by visiting a local clerk’s office. Residents can also check their registration status through the michigan.gov/vote website.
Voters can cast their votes in person, by mail-in, or absentee.
To vote in person, a voter’s address and ward will determine which of the 29 precincts they will vote in on Election Day. Please note that precincts 23 and 24 have been moved to new locations as of this year.
Early voting takes place July 25 through July 31 and can be done at the City of Flint municipal building in the City Council Chambers on the third floor, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Friday, July 31 at 5 p.m. by mail or online. Voters can also register to vote in person at the City of Flint Clerk’s Office to obtain and vote an absentee ballot until Aug 3 at 4 p.m.
Emergency absentee ballots can also be given out after 4 p.m. on Aug 3 until 8 p.m. on Aug. 4, from the city clerk’s office. Absentee ballots, including emergency absentee ballots, can be dropped off in several locations, such as in front of City Hall, in front of the Flint Police Department, at Fire Station 3, Fire Station 5, Fire Station 6 and Fire Station 8.
Haley Bowman is a write for the Michigan Times, she can be reached at haleybow@umich.edu.
