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SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN — Michigan voters now have the right to cast a ballot early and in person at an early voting site before Election Day.

The early voting period for Michigan’s presidential primary started on Saturday and will remain available until Sunday, February 25. The presidential primary takes place Tuesday, Feb. 27 at local precincts

In 2022, Michigan voters passed Proposal 2, requiring at least nine days of in-person early voting before Election Day in federal and statewide elections starting with this month’s Presidential Primary. The Michigan Legislature passed the legislation necessary to implement Proposal 2 in July 2023. Michigan joined 21 other states in offering this option to participate in elections.  

In-person early voting sites operate similarly to Election Day polling places – voters walk in, receive a ballot, mark the ballot, and enter it into the tabulator. The ballot will be processed but not counted until Election Day. In addition to the presidential primary election, several local proposals are also on the ballot including ballot proposals from Niles, Buchanan and Edwardsburg school districts as well as the Cass County Transit Authority.

Niles area residents have been descending on the Berrien County South County Building at 1205 N. Front St., Niles Monday to submit their votes for the primary. The building is open for voting from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and then 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

“We are encouraging everybody to try it out,” said Berrien County Treasurer Sharon Tyler. “It may not be best for you in February, but it might be great for you in August or November. Everybody should have a choice in what they want to decide and have their voice heard.”

In Cass County, registered voters have been casting their ballots at the Cass County Road Commission building, 340 N. O’Keefe St., Cassopolis, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday.

According to Tyler, Berrien County has entered into a county-wide early voting agreement for 2024 with 28 of the county’s 30 municipalities, with Bainbridge Township and Benton Charter Township choosing to run individual municipality early voting sites. Under the county-wide early voting agreement, the county has two early voting sites, North County and South County. 

Any registered voter in Michigan has the right to vote early in person at an early voting site for statewide and federal elections in which they are eligible.

Voters in Michigan can register to vote up to and on Election Day, including during the early voting period.

In addition to a person’s driver’s license, Tyler added that voter identification options have expanded to include a voter’s student ID, tribal photo ID, U.S. passport, tribal photo identification and military identification.

Tyler believes early voting could create new ways to improve the voter experience.

“I think it creates new opportunities and learning what we could do better for the voter in the future and what works and what doesn’t work as we move forward,” she said. “We always need to explore that because I feel that we can always do better. We have taken all precautions to secure the vote to maintain the integrity within the election process from the sites which we are running, all the ballots are retained in a secure spot each night. We want to make sure everybody’s vote counts.”

For Berrien County voters, questions regarding early voting should be directed to Tyler at (269) 983-7111 or elections@berriencounty.org. For Cass County, questions regarding early voting should be directed to County Clerk/Register Monica McMichael at (269) 445-4464 or monicam@cassco.org.

Berrien County primary proposals

Buchanan Community Schools sinking fund millage renewal

This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the building and site sinking fund millage that expires with the 2024 tax levy.

Ballot language: Shall the currently authorized millage rate of 0.7919 mill ($0.7919 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) which may be assessed against all property in Buchanan Community Schools, Berrien County, Michigan, be renewed for a period of 8 years, 2025 to 2032, inclusive, to continue to provide for a sinking fund for the construction or repair of school buildings and all other purposes authorized by law, the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2025 is approximately $393,833 (this is a renewal of millage that expires with the 2024 tax levy)?

Niles Community Schools Operating Millage Proposal

This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance and renews millage that will expire with the 2024 tax levy.

Ballot language: Shall the currently authorized millage rate limitation of 18.4926 mills ($18.4926 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Niles Community Schools, Berrien and Cass Counties, Michigan, be renewed for a period of 10 years, 2025 to 2034, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes, the estimate of Se revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and 18 mills are levied in 2025 is approximately $4,800,000 (this is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2024 tax levy)?

Cass County primary proposals

Cass County Transportation Authority

Ballot language: Shall the Cass County Transportation Authority, County of Cass, Michigan, be authorized to levy annually a new additional millage in an amount not to exceed .25 mill ($0.25 on each $1,000 of taxable value) against all taxable property within the Cass County Transportation Authority limits (the jurisdictional limits of the County Cass) for a period of five (5) years, 2024 to 2028, inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for all public transportation authority purposes permitted by law, including providing transportation services for seniors, disabled persons, and the general public and owning, managing, and maintaining facilities, property, and vehicles to provide such services? The estimate of the revenue the Cass County Transportation Authority will collect if the millage is approved and levied by the Cass County Transportation Authority in the first year (2024) is approximately $617,000. 

Edwardsburg Public Schools operating millage proposal

This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance. 

Ballot language: Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Edwardsburg Public Schools, Cass County, Michigan, be increased by 19 mills ($19.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 3 years, 2024, 2025, and 2026, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and 18 mills are levied in 2024 is approximately $2,694,162 (this is a replacement of millage that expired with the 2023 tax levy)?