City clerk comments on changes to absentee voting
Mount Pleasant is moving forward with changes to voting accessibility passed in Nov. 2022
The sun sets on City Hall in this 2019 file photo from downtown Mount Pleasant.
The City of Mount Pleasant is moving forward on changes to absentee voting, making it possible for individuals to have their absentee ballot sent to their mailbox automatically.
The change stems from one of the three propositions on the Michigan ballot in November 2022. Proposition 2-22 included measures to make voting more accessible.
“Voters now have the option of automatically receiving a ballot rather than an Application for Absentee Ballot,” according to a press release from the city. It added that the system of applying for an absentee ballot is still in place, and will remain the active system until the voter requests otherwise.
Heather Bouck is the Mount Pleasant city clerk. She said that anyone interested in voting absentee permanently can call their clerk’s office or visit the Michigan Voting Information Center’s website. To contact the Mount Pleasant clerk's office, email clerk@mt-pleasant.org
Bouck added that this process works whether you’re from Mount Pleasant or not.
“If they go to the Michigan voter information center, they can request their absentee ballot from their home jurisdiction,” Bouck said. “An option to go permanent is on that online application, and the campus address can be used as a temporary address, and the mailing address can be changed.”
She explained that opting for permanent absentee mailing can simplify the voting process, especially for voters who want to take their time and do research at home.
“For some people, doing the application is a time constraint,” Bouck said. “They can skip a step.. And get the ballot right away.”
Pre-paid postage on election materials will also be implemented before the next election for city elections in Mount Pleasant, in Nov. 2023.
Before the federal elections in 2024, however, Bouck said there’s more coming.
“There’s a lot coming as a result of proposal two,” she said. “We are working extensively… on education at the clerk’s level.”
Bouck said that the biggest change for her office will be the nine days of early voting, which will demand more time and effort. Part of proposition 22-2 included an extension of the in-person voting availability to nine days before the actual election day.
“I’m looking forward to the increased opportunities it will give voters… it will be a challenging implementation process but very rewarding in the end,” she said.
For more information, email the Mount Pleasant city clerk's office at clerk@mt-pleasant.org or visit their website.
