FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT
January
11, 2005 Carmella
Sabaugh 586-469-7939
Macomb
County Clerk / Register of Deeds Carmella Sabaugh asked local clerks to run
school elections in an effort to increase voter turn out and make school
elections less confusing. School
elections often fail to generate double-digit turnout. She announced her plan to local clerks in
response to a new law requiring consolidated elections.
“Voters
should be able to go to the same polling place, whether they are voting for
president, governor, mayor or school board,” said Sabaugh. “Government should encourage voting and
having the same polling place for school elections as other elections will
reduce confusion.”
State
law became effective this month that requires school board elections to be held
in May or November. Most other elections would be restricted to one of four
dates in February, May, August or November.
Most Macomb County school districts will hold their elections annually
in May. (East Detroit Public Schools
school board elections will continue to be held in November in odd years in
conjunction with the Eastpointe and Warren city elections.)
The
law also takes schools out of the election-running business and requires school
elections to be run by city and township clerks. Under Sabaugh’s plan, each
city and township clerk would run their own school elections, using the same
voter precincts and polling locations normally used. The entire cost would be paid by the school districts as required
by law.
Over
the past few months Sabaugh worked with local clerks and school officials to
develop a school election plan to implement this new law. She recently held meetings in her office
with every local clerk and asked each to run the school elections in his or her
community. She explained that each community would be reimbursed the same way
they are reimbursed for presidential primary elections.
Sabaugh
stated there are several good reasons to have local clerks run school
elections:
§
Voters
would go to the same polling places they use for other elections, reducing
confusion.
§
The
same election inspectors will work school elections and other elections, making
it easier for voters to get consistent answers to any questions that may arise.
§
When
local communities run school elections, it keeps the elections process under
local control. “I believe that local
control is important in elections and is one reason Macomb County and the State
of Michigan have such a good reputation regarding elections,” said
Sabaugh.
§
Local
clerks already have an established process for running local elections,
maintaining voting equipment, and processing absent voter applications and
ballots.
§
The
costs of any school elections in each community would be paid for by the school
districts, not by the municipalities.
“I
believe the public will be best served by having local clerks run school
elections in the same manner as other elections and the cooperation of all
cities and townships in Macomb County is essential for the successful
implementation of this law,” said Sabaugh.
Michigan counties, unlike counties in most states, do not actually
maintain voting equipment, polling locations, election inspector lists, or
issue and process absent voter ballots.
One
of the most recent improvements Sabaugh made to the election process was
posting campaign finance statements of school board candidates and other county
and local officials on the Internet.
You may view them free of charge at http://www.macombcountymi.gov/clerksoffice. Sabaugh said this improved compliance with
campaign finance laws and helped inform voters.