KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — Kalamazoo County will be hosting a series of community conversations to stay transparent ahead of this year's elections.
This year, new voting maps are also just now taking effect.
Kalamazoo County Clerk and Register of Deeds Meredith Place said your voter's ID card will be the key when it comes to details you need to know on or before Election Day.
It will give you your new district number as well as your polling location.
"All across the county voters should have received their new voter ID cards that includes all their districts that they're voting in," said Kalamazoo County Clerk and Register of Deeds Meredith Place.
In the city of Kalamazoo though, they're running a bit behind.
Place said she confirmed voters should be receiving their cards on Monday or Tuesday of this week.
"What we do know is that we had voters who had received ballots, who had not yet received their voter ID cards, and so they saw those district numbers, and we're asking questions," said Place.
This is one of the many reasons Place has decided a community conversation series ahead of elections is crucial.
"We decided to put this together really to continue to build trust, to provide election information and to better educate the public on their elections," said Place.
Place added this is the time for voters to ask questions.
It's also a time for them to see how security and integrity of the election is prioritized by Kalamazoo County election officials.
"All of these district numbers have not changed in 10 years, so if you're going to your ballot and you're looking at your district numbers, and you're seeing new numbers, we want to make sure that voters understand why they're seeing new numbers," said Place.
Absentee ballots, ballot counting machines, and post-election audits will also be topics of conversation.
Place said it's her goal to make sure voters understand what the process is.
"We want to make sure that voters have trust in what's being prepared and what's in front of them," said Place.
There will be a three dates where community conversations will be held ahead of the 2022 elections.
- Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at the Northside Association for Community Development- NACD (612 N Park St.) from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
- Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at the Zhang Portage Community Senior Center (203 E Centre Ave.) from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
- Thursday, October 27, 2022, at the Edison Neighborhood Association (816 Washington Ave.) from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
