Houghton County completes election testing, and prepares for early voting

Houghton County has completed testing for the start of the early voting center. County Clerk Jenn Kelly led a team of three poll workers, with the election commission in person to oversee testing. Kelly says that workers ran test ballots for each precinct.

So Judge Frazier-Strohm and Treasurer Lisa Mattila, along with four of the election workers, one of them was not able to attend. So we will be testing all of the test decks and everything for the entire county.  – Jenn Kelly, Houghton County Clerk

On Saturday, the Houghton County early voting center will open. The center offers an opportunity for people who do not plan to vote absentee or know they can not make it to a polling place on election day to vote. In February, the state began using early voting centers.

So this is the second testing that’s being done. We did the pre-testing. We were 100% on. So I want the voters to know that every vote is going to count.  – Jenn Kelly, Houghton County Clerk

The early voting center has been set up on the second floor of the Houghton City Center. The area is handicap accessible with an elevator to the left of the front doors. Voters will show their ID. Complete their ballot and then run it through the tabulator.

So it’s gonna take place right behind me here at the Houghton City Center. It’ll be open from Saturday, October 26th from 8 AM to 4 PM and go until November 3rd at 4 o’clock. So if a voter isn’t able or doesn’t want to cast an absentee ballot, doesn’t want to go to the polls on election day for nine days, they have the opportunity to come here, cast their ballot, and put it through the tabulator. And then on election night after the polls close at 8 o’clock, the workers will then do all the closing procedures and get the totals up to the county. – Jenn Kelly, Houghton County Clerk

Houghton County’s early voting center will remain open until November 3rd. Election day is November 5th. Those who have not registered to vote will need to so in-person with their township clerk. Those unsure of where to go on election day, or want to make sure they are registered to vote can find more information here. Early voting information can be found here.