Absentee ballots keep workers busy
TRI-CITY AREA — According to officials throughout the area, voter turnout has been strong prior to the Nov. 3 election. Voters have been able to get out and cast their votes through nine days of early voting or by absentee ballot.
Any registered voter in Michigan has the right to vote early in person at an early voting site for statewide and federal elections in which they are eligible. Voters in Michigan can register to vote up to and on Election Day, including during the early voting period. All voters, including voters with disabilities, have the right to vote in person at an early voting site, at a polling place, or by using a standard or accessible absentee ballot.
Early voting sites feature at least one Voter Assist Terminal (VAT), a ballot-marking device that can be used by any voter. VATs also provide assistive tools for voters with visual, hearing, mobility, or other disabilities. Prior to the General Election, accessible curbside voting was available at early voting sites. Voters had to contact their local election clerk to request curbside voting. In some cases, voters may have needed to send someone into the early voting site to request curbside voting on their behalf. An election official then brings the ballot outside for the voter to complete.
Many municipalities in the Tri-City Area are reporting heavier than normal turnout, although the November general election typically draws a strong turnout. Imlay Township Clerk Vicki Sefcovic said her election workers have sent out 500 absentee ballots with 75% of those returned as of last Saturday. Meanwhile in Goodland Township, the turnout has been equally strong with a large number of absentees returned.
Early voting numbers indicated Goodland Township voters took advantage of the polls being open early during the nine-day voting cycle. Goodland Deputy Clerk Ryan Nolin said the township had a higher than normal request for absentee ballots with the majority of those issued returned prior to Election Day. Reports show 245 absentee ballots sent out in Goodland with 174 returned as of Saturday. Early voting numbers show 103 voters have cast their ballots during the nine-day early voting window.
Currently the City of Imlay City has sent out 483 absentee ballots for the November 2026 Election and 71% have been returned. Imlay City Clerk Dawn Sawicki-Franz said, “The early voting process for the November, 2026 election is going very well! The partnership between the City of Imlay City, Imlay Township, and Goodland Township has proven to be a great success and has been positively received by all three communities. Establishing a shared early voting location has provided significant benefits by allowing the three municipalities to pool and share resources, including election equipment and trained election inspectors. This cooperative effort has helped create an efficient and successful early voting experience for our voters.”
Voters in two of the area’s municipalities were deciding the fate of bond proposals while in Imlay City, voters were selecting school board members. Below are the two proposals on the November ballot.
Imlay City Schools operating millage renewal
Imlay City Community Schools were asking voters to consider an operating millage renewal proposal that would allow the district to maintain its full state per-pupil funding allocation.
If approved, the measure would renew the district’s authority to levy up to 17.8304 mills — or $17.8304 for every $1,000 of taxable value — on non-homestead properties, including businesses, commercial sites, and second homes. Primary residences and other property exempted by law would not be affected.
The four-year proposal, spanning 2028 through 2031, replaces an existing millage set to expire with the 2027 tax levy. School officials estimate the renewal would generate approximately $2,880,000 in operating revenue during its first year in 2028, providing crucial funding for day-to-day district operations.
Township of Goodland Lapeer County millage for enforcement
Goodland Township voters in Lapeer County are considering a new ballot proposal to fund local ordinance enforcement. If approved, the measure would establish a new additional millage of up to 0.5 mill — or 50 cents for every $1,000 of taxable property value — for a five-year period spanning 2026 through 2030. Township officials estimate the tax would generate approximately $48,620 in revenue during its first year of collection to support ordinance enforcement operations throughout the community.
Results are to be made official after the polls close at 8 p.m. We will have complete election results as they become available and will post them to our Tri-City Times website, social media and in the Nov. 11 issue of the paper.
