Ballot Issues

A hike in voter registration may cause a hike in voter turn out

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Eli Pales life right now is full of plenty of coffee and lots of work. “In previous years we just haven’ t had the people in place that cared enough about voter turn out,” said Pales. 

Historically voter turn out in midterm election is low, but this time we are seeing changes said Pales. “We’ve gotten tons and tons of people registered. I’m hearing from the clerk that our voter reg numbers are gonna be on par with the 2016 general  election and that’s just absolutely insane,” he said. In fact, Pales says voter registration will end up six times higher than the last midterms.

From on-campus to off-campus, Lansing City clerk, Chris Swope, will have his hands full these next few weeks.

Government

Future of ballot initiatives uncertain

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By KAREN HOPPER USHER
Capital News Service
LANSING — For the first time since 1968, Michigan voters won’t face a statewide ballot question when they cast their votes in the presidential election. In 2012, voters turned down all six ballot questions they saw. Only 1968 with eight and 1980 with seven had more. “The ridiculous thing to me,” said Dana Nessel, president of Fair Michigan, which tried to get sexual orientation and gender protections into the state constitution, “I kept hearing that there were going to be too many ballot initiatives” in 2016. Experts told her voters wouldn’t know what to do with so many ballot questions, so they would just vote “no” on all of them, she said.

Government

Law confuses local officials ahead of March elections

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By ROHITHA EDARA
Capital News Service
LANSING — As upcoming March elections approach, local government officials are struggling to comply with the new state law that restricts them from sharing information about their ballot initiatives. Sometimes they’ve had to interrupt efforts already underway. “Fremont had 3,000 brochures that were ready to be sent out, not advocating but just educating about how a millage will be used, but they couldn’t send them out,” said Steve Currie, deputy director of the Michigan Association of Counties. Gov. Rick Snyder signed a new law Jan. 16 that prohibits local government discussion of ballot proposals 60 days before an election.