Village voters to face two ballots Nov. 8

Oxford Village voters will receive not one, but two ballots for the Nov. 8 general election.

No, they don’t get to vote twice.

This isn’t Tammany Hall.

There are simply too many national, state and local races and issues facing village residents to fit them all on a single ballot, so each voter will be given two ballots, each containing questions on both sides.

“There’s a lot there,” said Oxford Township Clerk Curtis Wright.

Wright is concerned having two ballots for one election will at best, confuse some voters, and at worst, result in incomplete ballots.

Why such a lengthy ballot?

Well, the village is giving voters a lot to decide on.

The entire front side of the second ballot contains a total of seven village-related questions.

Six are proposed amendments to the village charter. Some of them are quite detailed.

The seventh is a request to grant the municipality permission to sell two odd-shaped parcels of vacant village-owned land off Dayton St., south of Maple St. and west of Pleasant St. The parcels total approximately 2.1 acres.

Printed on the back of the second ballot featuring the village questions are the two non-homestead, operating tax requests – a renewal and an increase – for the Oxford school district. Those are the only issues on that side, so Wright is reminding voters about them.

Wright is encouraging voters to do their homework before going to the polls – research the candidates, study the issues, etc.

“That’s always the advice,” he said. “They need to be prepared.”

Being informed ahead of time can help voters fill out their ballots quicker, cut down on the length of poll lines and voter wait times, and prevent voters from feeling rushed.

Wright is also encouraging village residents to apply for absentee ballots, so they can vote from the comfort and convenience of their home or at the township office.

“It would definitely be worth voters’ while,” he said.

Voters are eligible to receive absentee ballots if they’re 60 years of age or older; unable to vote without assistance at the polls; expecting to be out of town on election day; in jail awaiting arraignment or trial; unable to go to the polls due to religious reasons; or appointed to work as an election inspector in a different precinct.

Absentee ballots can be requested until 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, however, voters who receive them that day, must fill them out at the township office located at 300 Dunlap Rd., just north of Seymour Lake Rd.

In order to receive absentee ballots via mail, requests must be made by 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5.

For more information, please contact the township clerk’s office at (248) 628-9787, extension 5.

All village voters are part of Precinct #1, the new polling location for which is the Oxford United Methodist Church at 21 E. Burdick St.

Wright wished to remind village voters who visit the polls to insert their two ballots in the tabulating machine one at a time, not together.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *