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Election Information

November 4th General Election

OCTOBER 6TH IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER 4TH ELECTION!

The City of Fenton will be conducting the Presidential Election on November 4, 2008. Polls will be open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and all precincts in the City will be housed at the St. John’s Activity Center, 600 Adelaide Street.  If you are unsure of your precinct or need information regarding the location of voting, please contact the Clerk’s office at (810) 629-2261.  Someone will be happy to assist you.

City Hall will be open on Saturday, November 1st from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM to issue Absentee Ballots if you are unable to vote in person on Election Day.   November 1st is the last day we can mail a ballot or application to a requesting voter.  On Monday, November 3rd, an absentee voter will be required to vote their ballot at City Hall.  City Hall will be open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM for this purpose.

Just a reminder for everyone, the new voter ID requirement is in effect as of the 2007 November election.  All those who are voting at the polls will be required to show a photo ID to the precinct workers before a ballot is issued.  Please be prepared to display the proper identification.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Secretary of State has developed a Voter Information Center, which can be accessed through their website www.michigan.gov/sos. Voters may now obtain information on their voter registration status, find the location and get directions to their polling place and preview the ballot. Also available is information on statewide candidates, ballot proposals and tutorials on the voting equipment used in their community. The State of Michigan has converted to the Optical Scan voting system. Genesee County has already converted all of its communities to this system due to the State mandate. The new voting system is part of a legislation package that has been handed down from the federal government. The U.S. Congress developed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to alleviate some of the problems caused by the 2000 Presidential election. This legislation was also designed to bring people out to the polls and make it easier for people to exercise their power to vote. With the changes in restrictions and the new equipment, you may find that voting has now become more error proof and more simplified than ever before.

With the implementation of HAVA, also comes the process of election consolidation. Beginning in 2005 it became the responsibility of the local clerks to administer the school elections on behalf of their respective counties. The Fenton School District and Lake Fenton School districts have chosen to hold their elections at the beginning of May. With these changes in administration also came some significant changes to our voters. In order to simplify the voting process further, the City of Fenton has decided to unify the precincts into one polling location for all elections. This means that the voters of the City of Fenton will always report to the St. John's Activity Center, located at 600 N. Adelaide Street, in order to cast their vote. Now, voters will always report to the same polling location regardless of what type of election is being held so there will be no further confusion about where to report. If you are unsure of what your precinct is, please contact City Hall and someone will assist you, or visit the new information website listed above.

The City of Fenton is always on the look out for individuals who wish to apply to be an election inspector. This position is a paid position and requires minimal training to perform. We encourage those of every age to take the opportunity to play an active role in local government.

Voter Registration

• How do I register to vote?
  If you are a resident of the City of Fenton, you may register to vote by bringing proper identification with you such as a Driver's License or a Michigan ID card, that states that your address is within the limits of the City of Fenton. You may also register to vote when you visit the Secretary of State's office to change your Driver's License.
• What are the requirements to register to vote?
  
  • You must be a citizen of the United States of America
  • You must be a resident of the State of Michigan, in addition to being a resident of your local community for at least thirty days prior to the election.
  • You must be at least 18 years of age by election day.
• Where do I register to vote?
  You may register to Vote at Fenton City Hall or your local Secretary of State's office.
• What do I do if I lost my Voter ID Card?
  Contact your local Clerk and they will be able to issue a new Voter ID Card.
• What do I do if I change my address?
  Michigan's Motor/Voter law requires that the address on your Driver's License matches the address where you are registered to vote. Anytime you move to a new City or Township you must re-register to vote. If you make a move within your current City or Township, it is vital that you update your address. You may make these changes at the Secretary of State's Office if you are moving outside of the City of Fenton, or update your new address within the City of Fenton at City Hall. The Secretary of State's office will notify us if you have changed your address so we can update our records, however you must sign the re-registration form. Please include all P.O. Boxes and Apartment numbers, in order to avoid confusion later.
• When is the last day to register to vote before an election?
  Any citizen must be registered to vote thirty days prior to the upcoming election. Registrations must be completed before 4:00 PM on that day. 
• Where do I vote?
  All residents of the City of Fenton will vote at the St. John's Activity Center, located at 600 North Adelaide Street, Fenton, Michigan, 48430. Residents of all Five Precincts of the City will all vote in the same above-mentioned location for EVERY election. You may only vote in the precinct in which you live. If you are not sure what precinct you reside in, contact the Clerk's Office at (810) 629- 2261 and someone will be happy to assist you. You may also log on to the State's website at www.michigan.gov/vote  in order to determine your location as well.
• What if I am a first time voter?
  If this is the first time you are voting in the State of Michigan and you have registered by mail, you MUST appear in person to vote for your first election. This requirement does not apply if:
  
  • You or another person hand delivers the mail registration form to your County, City or Township Clerk's office instead of mailing the form
  • You are 60 years of age or more.
  • You are disabled.
  • You are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
• What do I do if I am currently outside of the US but have established residency in the City of Fenton?
  If you are temporarily outside of the United States, you may use a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) form to register. The FPCA forms are distributed through U.S. Embassies and military bases. A Michigan resident who moves and registers out of state may not re-register to vote in Michigan until he or she re-establishes residency here.

Absentee Ballots

• What is an Absentee Voter Ballot?
  An Absentee Voter Ballot (AV Ballot) is an opportunity to cast your vote before election day as long as you qualify to do so under the specified provisions. The process is usually conducted through the postal service and is counted as anonymously and accurately as ballots physically cast on election day.
• Who qualifies for an Absentee Voter Ballot?
  As a registered voter, you qualify for the use of an AV Ballot if you are:
  
  • Age 60 years or older
  • Are unable to vote without assistance at the polls
  • Are expecting to be absent from your community on election day
  • Are in jail awaiting arraignment or trial
  • Are unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons
  • Are appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence.
• How do I request an Absentee Voter Ballot?
  You may request an Absent Voter Ballot with a pre-printed application form from the Clerk's Office. Requests to have an Absentee Voter Ballot mailed to you must be received by 2:00 PM on the Saturday prior to the Election. Fenton City Offices are always open from 9:00 Am until 2:00 pm on the Saturday before the election, for the sole purpose of administering Absentee Ballots. No other City Business will be conducted.
• Where do I get an Application for an Absentee Voter Ballot?
  You can request an Absentee Voter Ballot from the Clerk's Office in person, or by calling Fenton City hall and contacting the Clerk's Department. The City of Fenton does NOT maintain a permanent Absentee Voter List. If you are a repeat Absentee Voter it is necessary for you to request an application for an Absentee Ballot for EVERY election.
• What is the process of voting by Absentee Ballot?
  The process for voting Absentee is as follows.
  
  • Request an Absentee Voter Ballot Application from the Clerk's Office at the City of Fenton.
  • Complete the Application and return it to the Clerk's Department. The Clerk's Department will certify your identity and the validity of the application. If the application is correct and valid, the Clerk will issue you your Absentee Voter Ballot through the mail or you may take it with you if you request it in person. By law, the Clerk will not allow you to "Pick-up" a ballot for another Absentee Voter. If you bring in an application from another voter, we are obligated to send their ballot to them via the mail. Absentee Voter Ballots may be issued to you at your home address or any address outside of your City residence.
  • After receiving your Absentee Voter Ballot, you have until 8:00 PM on election day to complete the ballot and return it to the Clerk's Office. Your ballot will not be counted unless your signature is on the return envelope and matches your signature on file. If you received assistance with your ballot, the signature of the person assisting you must also be present on the front of the envelope. Only you, your family member, or someone residing in your household, a mail carrier, or election official is authorized to deliver your signed Absent Voter Ballot to the Clerk's Office.
  • If an emergency, such as a sudden illness or family death prevents you from reaching the polls on election day, you may request an Emergency Absentee Voter Ballot. Requests for an emergency ballot must be submitted after the deadline for regular Absent Voter Ballots has passed but before 4:00 PM on election day. Further, the emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for you to apply for a regular Absent Voter Ballot.
  • Absentee Voter Ballots will be available at the City of Fenton for City of Fenton residents only.

Running for Office

• What do I do if I want to run for City Council or Mayor?
  
• Anyone interested in being a candidate for City Council or Mayor must be at least 18 years of age, be a registered voter in the City for at least one year, and submit nominating petitions with a minimum of 50 valid signatures of registered voters within the City of Fenton, accompanied by an Affidavit of Identity.
• Affidavits and Petition forms are available at the Clerk's Office at City Hall.
• Although 50 valid signatures is the required amount to become a candidate, it is recommended that the potential candidate obtain more than 50 signatures, but no more than 100 signatures, to avoid complications.