Title
Resolution to Revise the Early Voting Center Availability for the 2024 Election Cycle to Include Citywide Access at All Locations
Memorandum
On October 16, 2023, City Council approved Resolution R-23-380 establishing the City's Early Vote Centers for the 2024 election cycle. The City's plan included three citywide locations (City Hall, UMMA and North Campus) and three ward-based sites at the District Library branch locations (Westgate, Mallets Creek and Traverwood). The plan was created to provide multiple sites and availability for all voters to vote early if they chose. However, due to programming constraints with the existing equipment, availability at the three library sites was restricted to specific wards. Since that time, it was determined that the law only allows for early vote centers to be restricted to a specific jurisdiction, not by wards or precincts, even in the case of establishing multiple citywide locations and additional smaller sites. In correcting this error and allowing the library sites to process all City voters, the Washtenaw County Director of Elections has confirmed that the equipment can be programmed to allow for more precincts per machine than was previously recommended. In addition, last-minute legislative changes will allow the City to consolidate low turnout Election Day voting sites into larger precincts, further freeing up resources to focus on Early Voting opportunities.
As previously reported, the City Clerk's Office plans to continue the satellite voting offices established on the campus of the University of Michigan at UMMA and the Duderstadt Center for the November General Election. A smaller scale presence will also be available to students and the campus community for the Presidential Primary at UMMA and at Pierpont Commons (attached to the Duderstadt Center). These locations, in addition to City Hall, will serve as full service voter registration and early voting locations for all Ann Arbor voters. UMMA and Duders...
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