Voter Guide 2018 The content of this Guide is derived from candidates’ profiles and ballot proposals posted online at www.VOTE411.org. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, VOTE411.org contains information about many races across the country, with content published as it was submitted by candidates. VOTE411 allows voters to compare candidate responses to questions, as well as offering information on voter registration, ID requirements, and election processes such as absentee voting. This Service Provided Spread the word about www.vote411.org! FREE By Your Local League of Women Voters What’s in this Guide Information About Voting 2018 General Election Governor & Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Voter Guide Attorney General US Senator Non-partisan Information US Representative in Congress (6th District) State Senator (20th District) about State and Local Elections State Representative (60th, 61st, 63rd & 66th Districts) November 6, 2018 State Board of Education This Voter Guide was prepared by the League of Women Voters of the University of Michigan Board of Regents Kalamazoo Area as a service to the voters. The League of Women Michigan State University Board of Trustees Voters is a national non-partisan organization which encourages active Wayne State University Board of Governors and informed citizen participation in government. The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose any candidate or political party. The Kalamazoo County Commission League does support issues after careful study without regard to the stand Justice of the State Supreme Court of any party. League positions on issues are never indicated in Voter Guides. State Ballot Proposals JOIN US! Use our Voter Services, study issues, become a member. Polling Locations President: MerriKay Oleen-Burkey See www.Vote411.org for additional races Vote411/Voter Guide Team: Kalamazoo Valley Community College Debbie Phillips Kalamazoo Public Schools Board Jules Isenberg-Wedel Portage Public Schools Board Terry Hluchyj See www.kalcounty.com for other can- didates and proposals Design & Layout: Tamara Carpenter Find us on This Guide is online at: www.lwvka.org and www.vote411.org www.facebook.com/lwvka © Copyright 2018 — League of Women Voters of the Kalamazoo Area Vote Tuesday, November 6, 2018 Absentee Ballots Polls Open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. A voter may apply for an absentee ballot by 2:00 pm the Saturday before the election, either by letter or in person at Who May Vote? the appropriate city or township clerk’s office. In case of emer- All U.S. citizens at least 18 years of age by election day, who are registered at least 30 days before gency after that day, contact the clerk’s office. the election. The close of registration for the election is Tuesday, October 9. Registration is perma- You are eligible to vote absentee if you: nent as long as the resident continues to live in the city or township where registered. • are 60 years of age or more. How? • expect to be absent from the community in which you are The procedure involves these steps: registered to vote for the entire time the polls are open on election day. 1. Complete an application to vote. • are unable to go to the polls and vote without the assistance 2. An election inspector checks your name against the computerized list of registered voters of another person. for the precinct. • cannot attend the polls because of your religious beliefs. 3. Show photo identification or sign an affidavit stating that you’re eligible to vote. • are an election inspector in a precinct other than the one in 4. Vote by using a pen to darken the oval near the candidate’s name or Yes / No in the case of a which you reside. proposal. Straight-ticket voting is no longer permitted. You must select each candidate. • are confined in jail or prison awaiting arraignment or trial. 5. Tabulate the ballot by inserting it into the optical scanner. You may receive assistance when voting from anyone except an employer, union or their representa- How do I receive the ballot? tives. Election officials may assist you, in which case two inspectors (one from each major political You can obtain an absent voter ballot by writing to the clerk of party), will give assistance. Instructions for using voting equipment are available online at the Michi- the city or township in which you are registered to vote. Ballots gan Voter Information Center (www.michigan.gov/sos). cannot be supplied through telephone requests. Your written request must include: About Voter Identification • Your name A provision of Michigan election law requires voters to either present picture identifica- • The date of the election tion or sign an affidavit if they do not have picture identification with them. • The address where you are registered to vote. To implement this requirement, precinct election workers will ask voters for photo identification at • The reason why you are requesting an absent voter ballot. the polls. The following are acceptable forms of photo identification (ID), assuming they are current • The address where you wish to receive your ballot. (This and a picture is provided: must be your registration address, an address outside of • Michigan driver’s license or personal ID your jurisdiction of registration, a hospital, or some other • Non-Michigan driver’s license or personal ID type of residential institution.) • Federal or state government-issued ID • Your signature and the date of your request. • U.S. passport Blank absent voter ballot applications can be obtained • Military ID through your city or township clerk or from the Michigan • Student ID —high school or accredited institution of higher education Voter Information Center online. Members of the armed forc- • Tribal ID card es and their spouses and dependents, members of the Mer- A Kalamazoo County ID Card is NOT acceptable. If the voter does not have an chant Marine and their spouses and dependents, and U.S. acceptable photo ID in his or her possession when offering to vote, that voter may citizens temporarily living or traveling outside the territorial sign an affidavit attesting that he or she is not in possession of a photo ID. A voter limits of the United States have the opportunity to apply for who completes an affidavit will be allowed to vote a regular ballot. and receive a ballot electronically through the Federal Voter Assistance Program (FVAP). An oath is no longer required on Write-in Candidates the Federal Post Card Application. To vote for a person whose name is not printed on the ballot, write the name of that person in the blank space provided for that office and darken the oval. If you are a new Michigan voter, and you registered to vote other than at the office of a clerk or the Secretary of State, you Votes for write-in candidates are counted only for persons who have declared their intent, at the can vote using an absentee ballot the first time you vote only appropriate jurisdiction, to be write-in candidates by 4 p.m. on the second Friday preceding the elec- if you personally apply for the ballot at your clerk’s office. This tion —October 26. Names of write-in candidates will be available after that date on the Secretary of is because you are subject to the Federal first-time voter ID State’s Voter Information Center website—www.michigan.gov/sos. requirements. Are You Registered & Who’s on Your Ballot? When must absent voter The Voter Information Center on the Michigan Secretary of State website allows voters to confirm their registration status, obtain information on the location of their polling place, view a sample bal- ballots be returned to the clerk? lot and obtain other election-related information. Go to www.michigan.gov/vote. Enter your name, Voters may cast their absentee ballots in the clerk’s office birth month and year, and zip code. until 4:00 p.m. on Monday before the election. Ballots must be received in the clerk’s office by 8:00 p.m. on election day. For Students There are instructions included with the ballot regarding who The State of Michigan allows students to register to vote at a permanent address (a parent’s is eligible to return a ballot on behalf of a voter. For further address, for example) or at a school address. It is important to know that the address on your voter information, contact your city or township clerk. registration must match the address on your driver’s license. Registering to vote will change the address found on your driver’s license, if you register at a different address. Likewise, if you change the address on your driver’s license, the address of your voter registration will be changed to match. About the Candidates’ You can vote only in the precinct where you are registered, so take that into consider- Responses ation when you complete a voter registration form or renew your license. Responses were limited to a specific number of characters, Editor’s Note including letters and spaces. They were truncated after the The League of Women Voters contacted candidates for biographical information and answers to limit was reached. questions on issues. Those known to have filed a declaration of intent to be write-in candidates at the Responses are printed as submitted by the candidate. Spell- time of printing this Voter Guide were included. Responses were limited to a specific number of char- ing, punctuation and grammar were not changed. acters and were truncated after the limit was reached. Responses were printed as submitted; spelling, punctuation and grammar were not changed. If the candidate did not reply by the required date for If the candidate did not reply by the required date for publi- publication, the words “Did not respond in time to be included” appear under the candidate’s name.