County Clerk PSA Answer Primary Election Questions

Oakland County Clerk Bill Bullard Jr. unveiled a Public Service Announcement on Thursday, designed to help answer voters questions about the upcoming Feb. 28 Presidential Preference Primary.

Monday is the deadline to register to vote for people who want to cast ballots in the Feb. 28 presidential primary.

Michigan residents who are U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old can register at city halls in  and. Forms are also on line at fhgov.com or ci.farmington.mi.us. 

Absent voter applications must be received at the city clerk's office by Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m. Because this is a partisan primary, voters must request either a Democratic or a Republican ballot with their absent voter application, and that has led to some confusion. 

“Our local clerks are being besieged by questions and complaints,” Bullard explained. “People are sending back their absentee ballot forms filled out incorrectly, and others seem to think their local clerk is personally invading their privacy by asking them which party’s ballot they want to vote. This PSA is designed to help people vote, and to answer those concerns.”

Issues Bullard stresses in the PSA include:

• The Legislature set up the rules for voting
• In order to vote for President, one must ask for a Republican or Democratic ballot
• People in communities with other issues on the ballot can request a separate ballot with just those issues.

There are no additional issues on the ballot in either Farmington or Farmington Hills. 

The webpage, oakgov.com/clerkrod/askbill/ goes into far more detail about how and why the Presidential Primary process came about, and other less common questions voters might have. 

“People always ask me if they have to declare what party they are in before they can vote for President,” Bullard said. “Technically, the answer is no. But you do have to ask for one ballot or the other. We will still not have partisan registration in this state in future primaries, either, but it will be public information for 22 months which ballot a voter requested.”

Bullard concluded, “I know this seems complicated, and in Michigan we are not used to having this kind of information be public. I just hope that no matter what they think of the process, everyone will keep in mind that it’s not the fault of the election worker who is asking which ballot people wish to vote. I also hope that no one will let this get in the way of letting their voice be heard and their vote be counted.”

For more information about local elections, contact the Farmington city clerk Sue Halberstadt, 248-474-5500, Ext. 2225 or Farmington Hills city clerk Pam Smith, 248-871-2410.

Correction: The link to the county's website for more information about the partisan primary has been corrected.