FeedsDecision 2006
City prepares for primary election
More than 250 election workers have been employed to oversee the 42 voting precincts in Westland during the Primary Election next Tuesday.
Residents will be able to vote between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the voting precinct for which they are registered. They will need to check in, select whether they wish to vote as a Republican or a Democrat, and then vote for their preferred candidate. Winners will move on to the Nov. 8 general election.
Despite the simplicity of the system, Westland traditionally has a fairly low voter turnout during primary elections. In 2002, for instance, citizens were asked to decide a hard-fought battle over who would become the final candidates for governor as well as for a number of other federal, state, and local positions. About 25 percent of registered voters participated. That number dropped last year as only 22 percent of residents headed to the polls during the primary.
“I do expect it to be higher this year,” said Westland City Clerk Eileen DeHart.
DeHart said that she expects more voters than usual to head to the polls in the highly contested race for the 18th District State Representative seat that will be vacated soon by the term-limited Glenn Anderson. James Godbout, Richard LeBlanc, and Vince Petitpren are all vying for the chance to represent the Democratic Party against Republican candidate Sam Durante.
She added that the turnout numbers could also receive a boost as residents in the northern areas of the city encompassed by the Livonia Public School District are asked to vote on proposals to recall several members of the Livonia Board of Education.
As of Monday afternoon, DeHart said that city staff members has issued about 4,300 absentee ballots and more than 2,700—about 64 percent—have already been returned.
Although it is too soon to tell how many of the more than 58,000 registered voters in Westland will vote in the primary, this year it should be even easier for some residents to vote.
“We have new equipment that is ADA-compliant,” DeHart said.
Required by a federal mandate, DeHart said that the new voting apparatus is designed to allow citizens with disabilities to vote without assistance. It was purchased through a federal grant.
Residents may turn in their absentee ballots up until 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The city clerk’s office will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday for anyone interested in obtaining an absentee ballot. For more information, contact the Westland City Clerk’s office at (734) 467-3185
