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City, campus officials urge voter turnout for March 8 primary

January 27, 2016
Between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. less than 10 residents had come to vote on Nov. 3, 2015 at IM Sports-West. Election officials said that they had one of the worst voting turnouts in years. The election was for East Lansing City Council.
Between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. less than 10 residents had come to vote on Nov. 3, 2015 at IM Sports-West. Election officials said that they had one of the worst voting turnouts in years. The election was for East Lansing City Council. —
Photo by De'jah Darkins | The State News

Recent state, local and national elections have seen pitiful attendance from millennial, specifically student, voters. Studies have shown a steadily declining number of student voters since the tumult of the 2008 election.  

ASMSU president Domonique Clemons recognized this trend and lamented about MSU students not exercising this right.

“There was one polling location on campus that didn't have a single voter turnout,” he said. 

Clemons attributes the low attendance to politicians making “little effort to connect with young people or address the issues we care about,” he said.

Clemons also gave mention to a cycle in which students do not vote and, in turn, politicians fail to make younger generations of voters a priority.  

“Voting is one of the best ways students can engage with government," Clemons said. "If more students voted, I believe that could lead to more candidates and government officials doing things to help students."

East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks is also concerned by the lack of recent student voter turnout. 

“The most important thing to remember is to be registered by Feb. 8," Wicks said. 

Presidential primary voting will take place on March 8. However, that date is problematic because falls during MSU’s spring break, Wicks said.

There are several ways one can register and be prepared for the actual election day on March 8, the first being to register in your home precinct and obtain an absentee ballot in your primary place of residence by mail or in person, Wicks said. However, if a first time voter registers by mail, they must physically pick up their absentee ballot in person. If a student registers in person, then they may be mailed an absentee ballot, Wicks said.  

“They need to see your face,” she said. 

Or, if registered, one can simply vote in person at their local precinct while at home during break.

Next, one can register in East Lansing and either pick up an absentee ballot then, or vote locally at one of the polls. Once again, first time voters who registered by mail must physically pick up absentee ballots from the Secretary of State office or the City Clerk's Office and those who registered in person can receive an absentee ballot by mail, Wicks said.  

ASMSU also provides a means to help students register to vote through asmsu.turbovote.org.  

Online, students fill out the form, wait for the form to arrive, sign it and send it in a provided pre-addressed envelope to the City Clerk, Clemons said.  

Students can also register in the ASMSU office in either their home precinct or in East Lansing.

Wicks also stressed if anyone has any questions, they may go to the City Clerk's Office at 410 Abbott Rd.

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