Large demand for absentee ballots kicks off primary voting

Ballots are out and the votes are already trickling in — even though the election is still a month away.

Over 22,000 ballots were sent out on Friday for Lansing’s Aug. 5 primary election, when voters will narrow the field for the Nov. 4 General Election.

The races seem to be generating more interest than usual.

“It’s really hard to predict” turnout, City Clerk Chris Swope said, “since I sent out almost 23,000 ballots and the normal turnout for this election is 11,000 to 13,000.”

How many will come back, he couldn’t say — but he expects to have “almost no one voting in person.”

At the top of the ballot this year is the mayoral race, with incumbent Andy Schor running for a third term. The former Democratic state representative achieved widespread support and easy victories in his first two elections. Has that support held fast? Four challengers are vying to find out. The top two vote-getters in the nonpartisan primary will face each other in November.

The Schor administration’s controversial choice to hike retired firefighters’ insurance premiums based on its interpretation of a 2013 collective bargaining agreement generated widespread controversy and lost him an endorsement from the city’s firefighters union. An opportunist could use it as a chance to turn the tides against him.

Brett Brockschmidt, David Ellis and Kelsea Hector are grassroots candidates championing different solutions to Lansing’s struggles. For Brockschmidt, it’s revising the city’s budget through an accountant’s eye. Ellis is focused on pedestrian safety and urban infrastructure. Hector wants to put people first and be a voice for the common man.

But then there’s Jeffrey Brown, the ever-enigmatic one-term city Councilmember, who seems to be putting name recognition over a rallying cry.

With no single, coherent vision, the anti-Schor crowd has a tough task ahead in choosing its candidate. Only two can advance to the general election. Schor will almost certainly be one. For the combined four opponents’ vote totals even to equal Schor’s would be something of a victory.

Then there’s the race for two City Council at-large seats as the result of decisions by incumbents Brown to run for mayor and Peter Spadafore to seek the 4th Ward seat (after announcing he was not running again).

Ten candidates are running for four spots on the November ballot. They come from a range of backgrounds and varying levels of experience. Current 2nd Ward Councilmember Jeremy Garza — who wants to relocate his family outside of the ward — has name recognition and was one of three endorsed by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee.

Also notable are Clara Martinez, who has remained quiet so far about receiving Schor’s endorsement, and Aurelius Christian, who was recently targeted by an attack mailer paid for by a dark money group. (See Page 5.)

In the 4th Ward, Spadafore is likely to move on, with Zacharie Spurlock and Heath Lowry competing for the second spot in November. Incumbent Brian Jackson is not seeking another term.

A millage that has been funding parks and recreation since 1990 is also up for renewal. The millage, or a $1 tax per $1,000 of taxable property, must be renewed every five years. The city sent out a mailer showcasing recent millage-funded projects, including new pickleball courts at Clifford Park.

Not on the ballot just yet are the city clerk and 2nd Ward races. No one is running against current clerk Chris Swope, who has held the position nearly 20 years. In the 2nd Ward, a lack of opposition earned Deyanira Nevárez Martínez and Erik Almquist the two November ballot spots by default.

“There’s a lot of excitement about this election,” said Steve Japinga, senior vice president for public affairs at the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. “You have a lot of different Councilmembers either not running for re-election or running for different seats.”

But what about the voters themselves? The regional chamber conducted a poll on the priorities of 214 registered voters into this election.

Fixing the roads was the top priority of 26.7% of those polled. Affordable housing came in second, with 23%, and public safety came in third at 18.9%.

In terms of issues needing the most immediate attention, 57.6% said “improving road conditions” was a priority. Nearly 50% made expanding affordable housing a priority; 43.1% said investing in youth programs, and 37.2% said enhancing public safety measures.

Japinga called the results “a confirmation” of what the LRC-PAC expected. It says its endorsed candidates are the best for the job.

Most everything voters need to know about getting a ballot is at lansingvotes.gov. You can also call the Clerk’s Ofice at (517) 483-4131.

Those wanting to vote in-person have their choice of options this year, with three days of early voting at the Lansing Elections Office on Wednesday, July 30 from 1-7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, August 2-3, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Of course, traditionalists can still have their way and vote on election day itself from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling locations by precinct can be found on lansingvotes.gov, alongside other pertinent information.