Tomorrow is the day! Residents will be heading out to the polls for the midterm election, and we've got some tips to prepare you. Access your resources in this week's edition of "Civic Matters" with WEMU's David Fair and the CivCity Initiative's Mary Morgan.
Mary Morgan brings a wealth of experience to the airwaves. While heading up the CivCity Initiative now, Mary was previously co-founder and publisher of the Ann Arbor Chronicle. Prior to that, she served as a reporter and editor for the Ann Arbor News when it was a daily, print edition newspaper.
This Week's Topics:
- Are you ready for Election Day? Get a sample ballot and find your polling location at Michigan.gov/Vote.
- The folks at UM's Voting Is Sexy project have a guide to help you plan your Election Day experience. Do you know where your polling location is? When do you plan to vote, and how will you get there? Who's going to the polls with you?
- Speaking of guides, the Michigan Secretary of State's office has a two-page tip sheet for Election Day. For example, it suggests that if your schedule permits, consider avoiding the peak voting hours of 7-9 a.m. and 4-8 p.m. when lines might be longer. The tip sheet also gives this reminder: Straight-ticket voting is not an option this year.
- Another way to avoid long lines is to vote absentee, if you qualify. The final deadline to apply for an absentee ballot in person is 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5. A signed application must be received by your city or township clerk before they'll issue an absentee ballot.
- Of course, it helps to know what's on the ballot before you show up to vote. Check out CivCity's AnnArborVotes.org or the League of Women Voters Vote411.org for info on candidates and ballot proposals.
- After the polls close, some people brace themselves for election results by hiding under their blanket – but others want to PARTY!! Here are a few options for watch parties in Ann Arbor, all starting after polls close at 8 p.m.:
- League of Women Voters Watch Party: HopCat, 311 Maynard St.
- UM Ford School Watch Party: Frasier's Pub, 2045 Packard.
- Voters Not Politicians Watch Party: Pizza House, 618 Church St., Ann Arbor.
- UM Ginsberg Center Watch Party: 1024 Hill St.
- Ann Arbor City Council Candidates Watch Party & Karaoke: Necto Nightclub, 516 E. Liberty.
- If you're not exhausted from the election, there are plenty of public meetings happening this week – including the Ann Arbor City Council, which meets on Thursday. The agenda includes items related to the city's deer management program, an ordinance to allow residents to keep backyard ducks, and a resolution directing staff to look at ways to make accessory dwelling units ("granny flats") easier to create. Click here for details.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
— David Fair is the WEMU News Director and host of Morning Edition on WEMU. You can contact David at734.487.3363, on twitter @DavidFairWEMU, or email him at dfair@emich.edu
