2024 ELECTIONS
Presidential Primary – Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 7A-8P
Early Voting February 17-25, 8:30A – 4:30P
Special Election – Tuesday, May 7, 2024, 7A-8P
Early Voting April 27-May 5, 8:30A – 4:30P
Primary Election – Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 7A-8P
Early Voting July 27-August 4, 8:30A – 4:30P
General Election – Tuesday, November 5, 2024, 7A-8P
Early Voting October 26-November 3, 8:30A – 4:30P
Election Results – St. Clair County, Current and Past
PUBLIC NOTICE OF EARLY VOTING CANVASS
With the passage of Proposal 22-2, for statewide and federal elections, in-person early voting is available nine consecutive days beginning on the second Saturday prior to the election and ending the Sunday prior to the election. Dates and times for early voting will be posted here. More detailed information is below.
For more information from the State of Michigan, click here to be redirected to the Secretary of State Voter Information Center
For more information from the St. Clair County Clerk, click here to be redirected to the St. Clair County Clerk’s Office Elections website.
Elections administration is handled by the elected Clerk and appointed Deputy Clerk, as required by state statute. The Clerk’s office is located in the Fort Gratiot Municipal Center, 3720 Keewahdin Road, Fort Gratiot, Michigan 48059. The Clerk’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Generally, break periods are staggered and someone is in the office. However, if you need to speak with someone in person, we recommend contacting the office to make an appointment.
Clerk Robert D. Buechlerrbuechler@fortgratiot.us(810) 385-4489 x 1104 |
Deputy Clerk Vicki Ostrandervostrander@fortgratiot.us(810) 385-4489 x 1103 |
REGISTER TO VOTE
Voters can check their voter registration status here: Michigan Secretary of State Voter Registration Lookup
Michigan voters are encouraged to register as early as possible before an election. Methods and requirements for voter registration depend on the following deadlines:
- 15+ days before an election: voters can register online, by mail, or in person.
- 14 days or less prior to an election, and on Election Day: voters may only register by visiting their local clerk’s office to register in person with proof of residency documentation.
IN PERSON-CLERK’S OFFICE. Fort Gratiot residents may register in-person during regular business hours at the Fort Gratiot Municipal Office, 3720 Keewahdin Road, Fort Gratiot, Michigan 48059. If you would like to set a specific time to register with the Clerk or Deputy Clerk, please call (810) 385-4489. You may, but are not required to, complete and print the form prior to coming to the office, found here: Michigan Voter Registration Form. If registering 0-14 days prior to an election, voters must register in-person at the Clerk’s office and must provide proof of residency. Click here for a list of acceptable documents.
ONLINE. To register online, you must have a current Michigan Driver’s License or Personal Identification Card and qualify to vote in the state of Michigan: Register Online.
BY MAIL. If your current address is within Fort Gratiot, return your form to the Clerk’s office at the Fort Gratiot Municipal Office, 3720 Keewahdin Road, Fort Gratiot, Michigan 48059. Click on this link to obtain a form: Michigan Voter Registration Form.
OTHER AGENCIES. There are local agencies that may also provide voter registration services to their clients, including the Council on Aging, Department of Human Services, Department of Community Health and Military Recruitment Centers.
CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS. If you have moved, you can your change your driver’s license, personal ID and voting address by visiting the Secretary of State’s website at: www.michigan.gov/vote.
EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING
In November 2022, Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment that gives voters the right to vote early and in person at early voting sites before statewide and federal elections. Communities may also choose to provide early voting for local elections. Many states have some form of early voting, including states with smaller populations such as Delaware, North Dakota, and West Virginia; as well as larger states like Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas.
Beginning with the Michigan Presidential Primary on February 27, 2024, all Michigan voters have the right to cast a ballot early and in-person at an early voting site before Election Day for every statewide and federal election. Early in-person voting is open for nine (9) consecutive days beginning on the second Saturday prior to the election and ending the Sunday prior to the election, from 8:30 AM through 4:30 PM at the Fort Gratiot Municipal Office Center located at 3720 Keewahdin Road, Fort Gratiot, Michigan 48059. During the early voting period, voters are issued a ballot and can then insert their ballot directly into a tabulator at their early voting site, similar to voting on Election Day.
Both early in-person voting and absentee voting allow voters to cast a ballot prior to Election Day. However, there are key differences between the two methods of voting.
- Early voting allows voters to cast a ballot similar to how they would do so at a polling place on Election Day. Voters are issued a ballot and can personally insert it into the tabulator at their early voting site.
- Absentee voting allows voters to request a ballot by mail or in person at their local clerk’s office. Voters can complete their absentee ballot at home or at their local clerk’s office and submit it in an envelope by mail, in person, or by drop box. After an absentee ballot is received by the local clerk, the voter’s absentee ballot is processed and tabulated by their local clerk.
Absentee voters also have more flexibility to “spoil” their ballot, or change their vote, after it has been submitted.
ABSENTEE VOTING
Absentee voter (AV) ballots are available for all elections, providing voters with an alternate method for casting a ballot when they are unable to attend the polls, or if they prefer to vote at home and return the ballot to the Clerk’s office.
ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST. If you would like to request an absentee ballot for a single election, please complete the Absent Voter Ballot Application and return to the Clerk’s office, or apply online here: Online Absentee Ballot Request
A voter must submit an absentee ballot application before an absentee ballot can be sent. Voters can request an absentee ballot up to 75 days before an election by submitting a completed absentee ballot application to their local clerk. Absentee ballots are available and distributed beginning 40 days before the election.
Michigan voters can decide to be placed on a permanent absentee ballot list. Their local clerk will then mail them an absentee ballot.
For information on military and overseas absentee voting, visit the military and overseas voting section.
PERMANENT ABSENTEE BALLOT LIST. If you prefer to vote absentee and receive your ballot in the mail, consider signing up to be on the permanent list. Placement on this list means that you will automatically receive your ballot in the mail approximately 40 days prior to all scheduled local, state, and federal elections to the address our office has on file. A signed request is required if you would like to be placed on this list. If interested, please complete the form and check the box in section 2 under Other Elections: Absent Voter Ballot Application
RETURNING BALLOTS. Ballots must be received in the Fort Gratiot Clerk’s office no later than 8:00 PM on election day to be counted, though we encourage voters to return ballots as soon as possible. Remember to sign the envelope provided or the ballot cannot be counted. Someone in your immediate family or living in your household can help you deliver this application. If that’s not possible, you can ask any Michigan registered voter to deliver it for you. The person helping you must sign “Certificate of Authorized Registered Elector Returning Absent Voter Ballot Application” on the envelope. Voters may return their voted ballots by mail (state-funded return postage is included,) in-person or by using our secure ballot drop box, located in front of the FGMC.
TRACK YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT. Click this link to view the status of your application and/or ballot: Track Your Absentee Ballot
EMERGENCY BALLOTS. If an emergency, such as a sudden illness or family death prevents you from reaching the polls on election day, you may request an emergency absent voter ballot. Requests must be submitted after the deadline for regular absent voter ballots has passed, but before 4:00 p.m. on election day. The emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for you to apply for a regular absent voter ballot. Please contact the Clerk’s office for more information about emergency absent voter ballots.
VOTER ASSISTANCE EQUIPMENT
Each precinct has a Voter Assist Terminal. This equipment offers all voters, including voters with special accommodations for hearing, visual, physical and other disabilities, the opportunity to independently vote in complete privacy. The Voter Assist Terminal does not actually count votes – it just simply marks the voter’s selections on paper that becomes their ballot. Voters can select their choices using a touch screen. Personal adaptives may also be used to assist voters in making their selections. The completed ballot is then fed into the tabulator, which scans and records the votes.
WORK AS AN ELECTION DAY INSPECTOR!
The Fort Gratiot Clerk’s Office is looking for people to work the polls on Election Day. By serving as an Election Inspector, also referred to as a poll worker, residents can serve their community, see their neighbors, be engaged in the democratic process and earn extra income at the same time!
Each county, city, and township in Michigan hires and pays election inspectors for the early voting period and on Election Day. Election inspectors are hired, paid, and trained local government workers who assist with running local elections in compliance with Michigan Election Law.
Inspectors will be stationed at one of the 4 precincts throughout Fort Gratiot and will be responsible for opening the precinct on Election Day, ensuring voters are registered and are voting in the proper precinct, assigning ballots and closing the polls. Election Inspectors are paid for working on Election Day and also receive additional payment for attending mandatory training prior to Election Day. Election Inspectors must be a qualified and registered elector of the State of Michigan.
Interested in becoming an Election Inspector? Contact the Clerk’s office today! Election Inspector Application
Precinct 1: Keewahdin Elementary, 4801 Lakeshore Road
All voters living on the north side of Brace Road between Parker Road and State Road, all EVEN addresses between 3728-3998 Brace Road, vote in Precinct 1, at Keewahdin Elementary School.
All voters living on the East Side of State Road from between Brace Road and Metcalf Road, all EVEN addresses between 5514-5802 State Road, will vote in Precinct 1, at Keewahdin Elementary School.
Precinct 2: Fort Gratiot Middle School, 3985 Keewahdin Road
Precinct 3: Fort Gratiot Municipal Center, 3720 Keewahdin Road
Precinct 4: Thomas Edison Elementary, 3559 Pollina Avenue
Former Precinct 5, the Pointe Community Center, was consolidated with Precinct 1, and votes at Keewahdin Elementary. Follow this link for the full 2020 Precinct Changes and March 2020 Election Information
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR TOWNSHIP OFFICE
Candidates wishing to be on the ballot for public offices in Fort Gratiot must file original documents no later than 4:00 p.m. on the 15th Tuesday before the August election. For this term, the deadline for the August 6, 2024 Primary Election is 4:oo p.m. on April 23, 2024. The complete packet of forms is available in the Clerk’s Office.
Candidates for the following positions file receive forms and file with the Fort Gratiot Clerk’s Office:
- Fort Gratiot Supervisor
- Fort Gratiot Clerk
- Fort Gratiot Treasurer
- Fort Gratiot Trustee (four positions)
- Fort Gratiot Park Commissioner (five positions)
Every candidate must submit the following forms, which are available by contacting Clerk Robert Buechler at (810) 385-4489 x 1104 or rbuechler@fortgratiot.us. Because incomplete or incorrect forms cannot be accepted late, candidates are strongly encouraged to submit the packet prior to the deadline so that any necessary corrections can be made to ensure the candidate is included on the ballot.
- Affidavit of Identity
- Nominating Petitions with sufficient signatures, or, in lieu of petitions, a $100 non-refundable filing fee, made payable to Fort Gratiot Township.
- Statement of Organization(If you plan on expending or receiving over $1,000 you must also file required campaign finance reports.)
Frequently Asked Questions about the 2024 Michigan Presidential Primary
As the presidential primary election nears, many have had questions regarding Michigan’s approach to primaries. Below are some answers to commonly asked questions.
Do I have to be a registered Republican or Democrat to participate in Michigan’s Presidential Primary?
No. Michigan’s Presidential Primary has been designated a closed primary. There is no political party registration requirement in Michigan Election Law. Any Michigan registered voter can participate in the primary. By law, you must make your ballot selection in writing by completing the Application to Vote/Ballot Selection Form on Election Day; or on the Absent Voter Ballot Application or Presidential Primary Ballot Selection Form if voting absentee. Please note: there is no “Ballot without Presidential Primary” option in Fort Gratiot for the February election, as there are no local issues on this ballot.
Why do I have to select a party ballot?
Michigan Election Law (MCL 168.615c) guides the conduct of the Presidential Primary. The law requires that voters indicate in writing which political party ballot he or she wishes to vote. This requirement only applies to Presidential Primary elections, and voters will not be required to select a political party ballot type at other types of elections.
What is the difference between an Open Primary and a Closed Primary?
Voters in an open primary (August Primary) are given a ballot with a column listing each qualified party’s candidates. Voters then decide which party primary they wish to participate in by voting only in the column of their party choice while in the privacy of the voting station. Voting for candidates in more than a single party’s column will void the entire partisan ballot.
Voters in closed primaries (February) must state the party primary they wish to participate in before being issued a ballot. The ballot given to voters only has candidates of the party that corresponds to the voter’s choice.
Will Michigan’s closed Presidential Primary procedures affect the August State Primary in any way?
No. The August primary is an open primary. Voters will not be asked to select a party before voting in the August primary. Voters will be issued ballots containing all political parties and their candidates, and will select one of the parties in the privacy of the voting station.
When I select a party ballot for the Presidential Primary, does that mean I have to vote in the same party primary in August?
No. The written selection made by a voter at the Presidential Primary has no bearing on how a person votes in the State Primary election.
Will my ballot selection be made public?
Yes. By law a public list must be made available that includes the Presidential Primary ballot type chosen by each voter in the Presidential Primary. This list must be made available within 71 days after the Presidential Primary election. This ballot selection information is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The public list of voters’ Presidential Primary ballot selections must be destroyed after the 22-month retention period expires.
To be clear, only the political party ballot selection will be made public; the candidate you vote for will not be made public. Closed primaries also have secret ballots so that the candidate you vote for is never disclosed.
What does an “uncommitted” vote mean?
Each party ballot has a vote position for “uncommitted.” When a voter selects “uncommitted”, this indicates the voter is exercising a vote for that political party, but is not committed to any of the candidates listed on the ballot. If enough voters cast “uncommitted” votes, the party may send delegates to the national nominating convention who are not committed to a specific candidate.