candidates

Michigan GOP hopefuls, surrogates weigh in on petition to rewrite voting laws

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The upcoming election year may look different if Michigan Republicans are successful in their petition to rewrite voting laws, and in theory, they could do it with only 8% of previous voters’ signatures, according to the Michigan constitution. The Secure MI Vote initiative would prohibit private election funding, strengthen in-person ID rules, create a new $3 million “voter access fund,” require ID info for absentee ballot applications and bar unsolicited absentee ballot applications to voters. An infographic simplifying information about the law. 

Republican reactions

Opponents of the bill claim this will make voting that much more difficult, even dismaying voters. 

Republicans, however, feel differently about their petition. Many wish to not make this petition a partisan effort and would rather come together from both sides, said Mark Uminn, a GOP candidate for precinct delegate of Oshtemo Charter Township. 

Said Uminn, “We think that there’s been a lot of division over the past couple of years, and that we need to come together -Not on ‘we want Republicans’ or ‘we want Democrats’- but rather we want fair elections. And we want our voters, our constituents, to be confident about the results of those elections.”

“I’m very hopeful about the result of this petition,” said Uminn, “and I think that we see that with every single signature that gets added to this petition, and we are very hyped up about this and we’re ready to go.

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Kalamazoo commissioner candidates gear up for August election

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Kalamazoo County’s unofficial candidate list for the upcoming primary election August 2, 2022 lists mostly county commissioners as candidates. Out of the nine districts within Kalamazoo County, the first, third and seventh are the only districts without a candidate running as of mid March. Map of the nine districts of Kalamazoo, out of these districts the first, third and seventh do not have a commissioner candidate yet. Screenshot from the Kalamazoo County Government website. Behind the scenes look at the election

The 2022 election, like past elections, faces staffing issues.

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Kalamazoo Marathon is back

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The Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon (formerly the Borgess Run for the Health of It) — in part — is set to return in person in April 2022. “I think we’re all really excited, you know,” said Carrie Drake, the marathon’s race director, “having to go virtual was really hard for the community and that was early spring 2020 so a lot of people were feeling uncertain about COVID.”

“The full marathon will be back in 2023, just given some of the organizing team transition,” said Drake. “We’ll have the half marathon, the 5k and the 10k back all this year.”

Even though only a few of the events will be held this year, organizers expect a huge turnout:  between 3.5 to 4 thousand runners. The 2020 cancelation

In 2020, the Kalamazoo Marathon was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and marathon organizers informed runners via social media and on the Kalamazoo Marathon website once they figured out what exactly was going on with the pandemic, said Blaine Lam, co-creator of the Kalamazoo Marathon who retired from organizing the race during the pandemic

“We saw the effects that it had on the Kalamazoo Marathon with its absence,” said Eric Blackwell, a past Kalamazoo Marathon participant, “Economically it’s huge for the city to not have that, but it was pretty difficult for the running community.”

“You know you train and you’re getting ready for these events and then it doesn’t happen. It’s such a huge emotional letdown,” said Blackwell, “To be forced out of an event like that is pretty difficult.”

Although the 2020 Kalamazoo Marathon was abruptly canceled, that didn’t stop the running community from encouraging one another to stay active.