May 5, 2020 |
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Special Election |
Precincts 3, 4 & 5 only |
Join the Permanent Absentee Voter Ballot Application List
Texas Township is divided into 6 voting precincts. Where you vote depends on where you live. To find out where you vote, either review your voter identification card or visit the Michigan Voter Information Center.
7829 South 5th Street
7110 West Q Avenue
7107 Elm Valley Drive
6726 Texas Drive
6726 Texas Drive
7829 South 5th Street
To register to vote you must be:
A U.S. citizen;
At least 18 years of age by Election Day;
A resident of Michigan and Texas Township.
You may apply to vote at the Texas Township Hall, any Secretary of State branch, or at the Kalamazoo County Hall (please bring photo I.D.). To see if you are registered, visit the Michigan Voter Information Center. If you find you are not registered, please visit the Voter Registration page to find out more about registering.
Please mail all completed registration forms to the Clerk’s Office at 7110 West Q Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49009.
Voter registration rules and requirements were recently updated by the Michigan Bureau of Elections after the passing of Proposal 3 in 2018.
Voters may register in person or by mail up to 15 days prior to an election. You may register to vote at the Township Hall or any Michigan Secretary of State Branch Office. You may also register to vote by mail by downloading and returning a voter registration form.
Voters may also register within 14 days of an election, up to and including Election Day, provided that the voter:
By law, voters must be 30-day residents of a jurisdiction to be qualified to vote in that jurisdiction.
If you have moved recently or legally changed your name (marriage), you must register again.
You may change your address online through ExpressSOS, by mail, or in person at a Michigan Secretary of State branch office or the Texas Township Office. Please bring photo I.D.
Must re-register to vote in person at a Michigan Secretary of State branch office. Be sure to bring legal documentation of the name change such as a marriage license or court papers.
On Election Day, the polls are open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Anyone in line at 8:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Here are a few tips and tricks for all voters to remember:
Texas Township uses the DS-200 optical scan voting system from Election Systems and Software (ES&S). This secure voting system utilizes paper ballots, which the voter completes by filling in ovals. The ballot is then placed into an electronic scanner that tabulates the votes and also captures a digital image of the ballot cast, in the event that there is a recount. Once the ballot has been fed through the tabulator, a message will appear to the voter indicating that their ballot was cast and properly counted. The paper ballot is then retained as a back-up to the electronic tabulation and digitally scanned image.
Voters requiring assistance may vote independently using the ExpressVote ballot marking system. This device utilizes a specialized paper that is fed into the machine and will mark the voter’s ballot after they’ve made their selections using a touch screen. This device assists voters with mobility, vision, and literacy difficulties.
Voters may also request assistance from the person of their choice. However, that person may not be the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or an officer or agent of a union to which the voter belongs. Two precinct inspectors may also assist the voter.
With the passing of Proposal 3 in 2018, registered voters no longer need a reason to request to vote by absentee ballot.
In order to receive an Absentee Ballot, you must first fill out an Absentee Ballot Application. You may contact the Clerk's Office and have them mail you an application, or you can download the application below, fill it out, and return it to the Clerk's Office either via email at elections@texastownship.org or by postal mail. Once the Clerk's Office has received your application, they will process it and mail you an Absentee Ballot.
Absentee Ballot Application FormYour Absentee Ballot will come with voting instructions to walk you through the process of voting absentee. It will also come with a secrecy sleeve to place your voted ballot inside before sealing it in the outer envelope. Prior to returning the Absentee Ballot, please make sure that you have signed the outside envelope; and, if mailing the ballot, place at least $.50 postage on the envelope.
The Clerk's Office is open the Saturday before each election from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for the convenience of those wishing to vote via Absentee Ballot. Please note that Absentee Ballots cannot be given to anyone except the voter. Absentee ballots must be returned by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
You may make an "emergency" request for an absentee ballot if you cannot attend the polls on Election Day because:
The emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for the voter to apply for an absentee ballot by the statutory deadline for regular applications. Therefore, requests for an emergency ballot must be submitted after 2 p.m. the Saturday before the election, which is the deadline for applying for a regular absent voter ballot, but before 4 p.m. on Election Day. Emergency absent voter ballots must be returned to the clerk's office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Contact the Clerk's Office for more information.
A voter can request to be added to this list in order to receive Absentee Voter Applications prior to each election. Recipients of these applications must complete the application for each election and return it to the Clerk's Office in order to receive a ballot. Please note that being on the Permanent AV List does not guarantee you a ballot; it only guarantees you will receive an application form. You must complete the application form and return it to the Clerk's Office in order to receive a ballot. An Absentee Ballot Application Form must be completed for each election.
If you are an active duty service member, a family member of an active duty service member, or a U.S. citizen who is residing abroad, you may qualify for an absentee ballot.
Eligibility Requirements
Application Form
To receive an absentee ballot, eligible military & overseas voters must complete a Federal PostCard Application Form (FPCA). The FPCA form allows the eligible voter to receive either an electronic ballot, which must be returned via postal mail, or a physical ballot. The voter is able to select their preferred delivery method on the FPCA form.
Completed forms can be returned to the Clerk’s Office by email at elections@texastownship.org or to 7110 West Q Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Once submitted, the FPCA form is valid for the entire calendar year in which it was submitted. A new form will need to be submitted each year.
If you have questions, the Federal Voting Assistance Program has a wealth of information for service members, their families, and overseas citizens.
Texas Township is currently seeking qualified individuals who are interested in working at polling locations on Election Day.
The Township will provide training (one half-day) and the necessary resources for you to succeed in assisting voters on Election Day.
This is an excellent way to serve your community and fulfill your civic duty while earning some extra spending cash!
Please contact the Clerk’s Office at 269.375.1591 for more information.
At any time; however, you must a resident of Texas Township for at least 30 days before an election in order to vote in that election.
Learn more about voter registration at the Michigan Voter Information Center website, www.michigan.gov/vote
You can register at any of the Secretary of State Offices, the Township Clerk’s Office, the County Clerk’s Office and other state offices.
You may also register to vote by mail up to 15 days before an election. Within the 14 days before an election, you must register at the Township Clerk’s office with proof of residency.
Yes, if you are a registered voter, you may obtain an absent voter ballot. With the passing of Proposal 3 in 2018, a reason is no longer required to obtain a ballot.
No. Election law allows for only the registered voter to obtain a ballot. However, you may pick up an application for an absentee ballot for your spouse and you can deliver a voted ballot of any member of your immediate family or any a member of your household.
No. Election law specifically states that power of attorney does not apply for voting purposes.
Any registered voter may ask to be on the permanent absent voter list. Being on the permanent absentee voter list means that you will receive an absentee ballot application form for each election. This form needs to be completed and returned to the Clerk’s Office so we can mail you a ballot. Being on the permanent absentee list guarantees you will receive an absentee ballot application form, not a physical ballot.
Being on the permanent list does not guarantee a ballot for every election. Rather, it means that you will automatically receive an application for an absentee ballot. The application must be completed and returned to the Clerk’s Office prior to receiving a ballot.
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled on July 18, 2007 that a provision of Michigan election law which requires voters to either present picture identification or sign an affidavit if they do not have picture identification with them is constitutional and enforceable. (See MCL 168.523 for picture identification requirement.) While this requirement was originally enacted by the State Legislature in 1996, the requirement was never implemented due to a prior ruling issued through the Attorney General’s office.
Due to this ruling, the County of Kalamazoo Clerk’s Office Election Division and all other jurisdictions across the State will implement this new requirement beginning with the election on November 6, 2007. To implement this requirement, precinct election workers will ask voters for photo identification at the polls. The following are acceptable forms of photo identification, assuming they are current and a picture is provided:
Michigan Driver’s License or Personal ID
Non-Michigan Driver’s License or Personal ID
Federal or state government-issued ID
U.S. passport
Military ID
Student ID – high school or accredited institution of higher education
Tribal ID card
If the voter does not have an acceptable photo ID in his or her possession when offering to vote, that voter may sign an affidavit attesting that he or she is not in possession of a photo ID. A voter who completes an affidavit will be allowed to vote a regular ballot.