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Looking to vote in the Michigan Primary? Here's your guide

March 9, 2020
People vote in the East Lansing City Council Election at Hannah Community Center on Nov. 5, 2019.
People vote in the East Lansing City Council Election at Hannah Community Center on Nov. 5, 2019. —
Photo by Sylvia Jarrus | The State News

Tuesday's Michigan primary is one of seven state primary elections that day to choose the nominees for the Nov. 3 general election – here’s what Michigan State students need to know.

How and where to vote

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday in East Lansing. 

Residents not yet registered to vote can register in person at the East Lansing City Clerk’s office until 8 p.m. on Election Day, according to the Secretary of State’s website.

Based on precinct boundaries, MSU students and East Lansing residents registered to vote are assigned to one of the following locations, listed by precinct.

  1. MSU — Brody Hall, 241 West Brody Road.

  2. Martin Luther Chapel, 444 Abbot Road.

  3. Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road.

  4. Capital City Vineyard Church, 1635 Coolidge Road.

  5. Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 1924 Coolidge Road.

  6. Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 1315 Abbot Road.

  7. St. Paul Lutheran Church, 3383 Lake Lansing Road.

  8. University Reformed Church, 841 Timberlane St. 

  9. Edgewood United Church, 469 North Hagadorn Road.

  10. Edgewood United Church, 469 North Hagadorn Road.

  11. Burcham Hills Retirement Community, 2700 Burcham Dr.

  12. MSU — Union Building, 49 Abbot Road.

  13. MSU — IM Sports East, 804 East Shaw Lane.

  14. MSU — IM Sports East, 804 East Shaw Lane.

  15. MSU — IM Sports West, 393 Chestnut Road.

  16. Wesley Foundation, 1118 South Harrison Road.

  17. Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 1924 Coolidge Road.

Preparing for the polls

When you arrive at the polls, you will be asked to fill out an application to vote and asked for a proof of residency and form of photo identification. If you do not have a photo ID, you can fill out an affidavit to verify your identity. 

Once your voter registration is verified, you will be able to decide which party’s primary you wish to vote for. You can also choose to opt out of the party primaries and vote for the remaining questions on the ballot. 

Sample ballots by precinct can be viewed prior to voting through the Michigan Voter Information Center. 

Michigan will award 147 delegates to the Democratic National Convention – 125 pledged delegates and 22 superdelegates. The state is Tuesday’s biggest potential win for the presidential candidates.

Issues on the ballot

On both party's ballots, as well as the non-partisan ballot, there are six local issues for East Lansing residents to vote on, including the development of a new MSUFCU building in downtown East Lansing.

On the Democratic ballot, the presidential candidates remaining are former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. 

Over the course of spring break, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts have all dropped out of the race.

Buttigieg, Bloomberg and Klobuchar each endorsed Biden. Warren, who held a rally in Detroit days before suspending her campaign, has yet to endorse a candidate.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (Mich-8) have also endorsed Biden, who is currently in the lead with 664 delegates, followed by Sanders with 573, while Gabbard has two, according to the Associated Press’s delegate tracker.

On the Republican ballot, President Donald Trump is challenged by former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, former Illinois U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.

None of Trump's opponents have exceeded five percent in Michigan polls. Trump leads with 833 delegates. Weld has one.

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