Election primer: What will be on your ballot Tuesday
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Voters are not required to present a voter registration card at the polling place, but must present a form of photo identification, including a driver’s license, state-issued I.D. card, U.S. passport, military I.D. or student I.D. card from a high school or accredited higher learning institution.
- Find your polling place and your voter precinct
Democrat Julie Grand, left, is challenging Democrat and incumbent City Council Member Stephen Kunselman for his 3rd Ward seat.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Ann Arbor
Two incumbent city council members will be defending their seats in 3rd and 4th ward races. Council members serve two-year terms.
Council member Stephen Kunselman, D-3rd Ward, will face challenger and Democratic candidate Julie Grand.
Kunselman has served three terms on council. Grand is the chairwoman of the city's Parks Advisory Commission.
Democrat Jack Eaton, left, is challenging Democratic incumbent City Council Member Marcia Higgins for her 4th Ward seat.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Higgins has served on the City Council for 14 years. Eaton, who has lived in the 4th Ward since 1998, works as a labor attorney in Southfield.
The August primary election precedes the November regular election, when voters will decide the 2nd Ward seat on City Council as well.
Ypsilanti Township
Four proposals will be before voters for approval, three of which are millage increases:
- Increase of .325 mills from 3.2 mills for fire services, which would annually generate an additional estimated $370,671.
- Increase of .950 mills from 5 mills for police protection, which would annually generate an additional estimated $1,083,502.
- Increase of .475 mills from 1.68 mills for garbage, refuse collection, recycling, composting, energy conservation, alternative energy, water quality and environmental protection, which would annually generate an estimated $541,751.
- Renew the roads millage, which is set at 1.0059 mills.
Ypsilanti Township officials have stated that without the millage increases there would likely be severe cuts to core services like fire and police protection.
If all three millage increases are passed, the owner of a home with a taxable value of $100,000 would pay an additional $175 per year in taxes.
Whitmore Lake Public Schools
Voters living in the Whitmore Lake Public Schools District will decide on a proposed $12.3 million bond issue to remodel and update school facilities and technology, purchase school buses as well as to construct athletic buildings and playing fields.
The school district is pursuing general obligation unlimited tax bonds for the work. The district encompasses parts of Washtenaw and Livingston counties.
The estimated tax rate is 2.5 mills to pay back the bond in the first year. The millage rate would mean a homeowner with a house of $100,000 taxable value would pay $250 per year on top of his or her existing tax burden.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
Narnia
Mon, Aug 5, 2013 : 10:25 a.m.
Ypsilanti Township residents: Please vote no on all three millage increases. There need not be drastic cuts to any essential service. Home prices are on their way back. Please keep the Township an affordable option for families. If we just stopped the lawsuits for a year, we would save over a million dollars. We need to stop paying for Ypsi City services - recreation, roads, busses in the city should be paid for by their taxpayers.
Judy
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 11:29 p.m.
I live in the Whitmore Lake Public School District my home is under 100,000 taxable value and I am currently paying about $200 dollars a month right now in property taxes. The Whitmore Lake Public School District Superintendent salary...it takes me close to 5 years to make what she is making. I sent her an e-mail about a month ago and she never replied to it. NO, I will not vote yes on this bond issue.
Pizzicato
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 10:35 p.m.
There's an 85% chance I'll show up to vote out Marcia Higgins. If I do actually show up, there's a 45% chance I'll arrive too late or leave before I finish voting.
Michael-David
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 5:51 p.m.
"Voters are not required to present a voter registration card at the polling place, but must present a form of photo identification, including a driver's license, state-issued I.D. card, U.S. passport, military I.D. or student I.D. card from a high school or accredited higher learning institution." This statement is misleading because it is only partially true. There is an affidavit on the back of the Application to Vote which is available to any voter who cannot present t photo identification. Annarbor.Com's sloppy reporting will probably result in some voters deciding not to try to vote. Please make an attempt to fix this! The truth is that any registered voter can vote whether or not they can produce a photo ID.
Jack Gladney
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 3:40 p.m.
I see that my reply to someone calling for the concentration then murder of Republicans was deleted by the moderator. I simply meant to encourage people to vote for candidates who are suported by that kind of open minded tolerance that permeates the post-modern Democratic Party.
arborani
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 5:25 p.m.
I believe that when an original post is deleted, any comments are also deleted. If, as I suspect, someone's call for a "murder" is gone, so is your reply.
LXIX
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 12:42 p.m.
"What will be on your ballot..." Bet you didn't know that you just clicked a Subliminal Google ad for 'Capital One' "What's in your wallet" My candidate is "Nobody". They always win. Ready to solve all of the City's problems. They are quickly forced out by the runner up.
RUKiddingMe
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 12:31 p.m.
I encourage Ypsi residents to put some time into reviewing the budget of other areas in their city besides fire/police/trash. It's important to have those services, but let's not ignore where money might be being wasted before falling for the "without more money, we lose cops" argument. As a small example, I was not overly happy with AATA's proposed budget that showed over $200,000 for a website (this was during their countywide expansion effort, which itself probably wasted several million dollars). Having to put your time into investigating how money is spent is very frustrating; people should be doing their jobs and have the best interest of the residents of the city they serve at heart. However, they're all just people. It's just 10 or 12 people trying to figure out how to spend millions and millions of dollars, and they all have buddies, they all make deals, and they all want to keep their jobs. Take a good look at where your money is going before agreeing to just throw more at them.
ypsi
Mon, Aug 5, 2013 : 12:48 a.m.
I could not agree more.I'll be voting NO on all 4 proposals.
Ryan J. Stanton
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 11:44 a.m.
If you're not sure which ward you live in or where to vote on Tuesday if you are in the 3rd or 4th wards (there are no races in other wards in Ann Arbor), here's the city website link to the individual ward maps, showing each precinct, with polling locations in red: http://tinyurl.com/62jxjl You also can check to make sure you're registered to vote (and find out your precinct and polling location for Tuesday's primary) here: https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/mivote/ That last link is especially helpful if you've recently moved and are unsure if you're still registered at your old address.
Ryan J. Stanton
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 5:43 p.m.
@Reason — there is not even a ballot in the other wards because there is nothing to vote on; Sabra Briere (1st Ward), Jane Lumm (2nd Ward) and Mike Anglin (5th Ward) are up for re-election but do not have primary challengers. (Note: Jane Lumm is an Independent, so she'll face Democrat Kirk Westphal in November)
Reason
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 12:41 p.m.
Ryan--just to confirm, if we live in A2 but do NOT live in the 3rd or 4th ward, there will be nothing on the ballot we can vote on, correct?
Ryan J. Stanton
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 12:28 p.m.
Glad I could help!
Linda Peck
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 12:06 p.m.
Thanks, Ryan. This is exactly what I needed as I recently moved and had not received confirmation of my change yet.
Tru2Blu76
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 10:32 a.m.
"In the 4th Ward, incumbent council member Marcia Higgins, a Democrat, will be facing Democratic candidate Jack Eaton." Democrat vs Democrat?? Is this even legal? "Voters are not required to present a voter registration card at the polling place..." So how is do they know who's crossing over from other precincts and wards to diddle the vote in these legally defined political areas? When a country allows its electoral process to deteriorate to the level if absurdity - that country is not long for this world. Of course, it's become obvious that Democrats thrive in such an environment of absurdities. And don't let anyone call such elections "honest."
metrichead
Mon, Aug 5, 2013 : 5:17 a.m.
Voter fraud is not a significant problem in Michigan. Our Secretary of State, Ruth Johnson, claimed there were more than 4,000 registered voters who weren't US Citizens. It was a claim she couldn't substantiate. Voter ID laws sound good on the face of things, but there isn't enough compelling evidence to warrant implementing them.
Sparty
Mon, Aug 5, 2013 : 3:03 a.m.
ChelseaBob: In Michigan, identification is required to vote. In addition, signatures are compared to the original voter registration signature to verify authenticity. What I object to are partisan attacks on the election process. No Americans approve of voter fraud. To suggest Democrats do, is repulsive. It's ironic, as I've said because the only fraud prosecuted in 2012 was in Florida and was conducted by Republicans. @ Brad: It seems to me that nobody objected when so many Democrats crossed over and voted for the Nerd Snyder in 2010. Presumably they won't make the same mistake next year.
Brad
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 1:26 p.m.
"Of course, it's become obvious that Democrats thrive in such an environment of absurdities. And don't let anyone call such elections "honest."" Know what would really be absurd? Republicans running in the Democratic primary. Sheesh. Turn off that radio!
greenstriper
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 12:44 p.m.
Ah, yes, the "voter fraud" bogeyman. You'd think that if were such a problem, there would be more actual evidence of it happening. Time after time, I hear people scream that it's real, but they seldom seem to be able to back up these claims with specific examples, meaning names, places and dates. Lots of apocryphal "well I heard somewhere" stories, though.
ChelseaBob
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 11:13 a.m.
Sparty- Are you one of those folks that believes its a terrible violation of someone's rights to require them to show a drivers license to vote? Even though you need that to buy a beer, cash a check, get a hotel room and pretty much every other transaction in this world? Tru Blu is a little over the top, but voter fraud is a huge problem, and since the government can read your email and track you on your smart phone, why is it so wrong that they make sure you are who say who you are before you vote? First step in getting rid of corrupt politicians of either party is to stop vote fraud.
metrichead
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 10:48 a.m.
To answer your first paragraph, yes, it is legal. It's called a primary. The primaries decide whose party's candidate will stand for the general election in November. Only in cases like these, the tilt is slanted so heavily towards the Democratic Party that this race will pretty much decide who wins in November, regardless of whether or not a Republican, Independent, or whatever else runs against them.
Sparty
Sun, Aug 4, 2013 : 10:41 a.m.
Of course only those who live in the respective Wards can vote. Signatures are compared to those on the original voter registration at the appropriate address. What's absurd is when partisans believe in the Fox News talking points about election fraud and point to Democrats, ie when the only proven 2012 voter fraud was in Florida and was Republican, prosecuted in a Court of Law.