This images show the damage from the 1949 flood in the city of Marquette along the Spring Street washout. (Photo courtesy of the Marquette Regional History Center)

ESCANABA — Proposal 2, a slew of election reforms passed by Michigan residents in 2002, will take effect this year. What this means for voters will largely depend on how they choose to cast their vote.

Under the new rules there are three types of voting: absentee, early, and Election Day. For those voting on Election Day, there won’t be any noticeable changes. Residents will still appear at their voting precinct — which is determined by their home address — between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Other voters will see significant changes to how they cast their ballots.

Because 2024 is a presidential election year, the first election of the year is a presidential primary election. Michigan uses a primary system where voters must declare which of the two major parties they want to participate in the primary for before they are given a ballot. Election Day voters will declare this when they reach their precinct polling place on Tuesday, Feb. 27, the official date of the primary election, but absentee and early voters will have a slightly different process.

Early voters will also declare their ballot choice in person, however, all early voting in Delta County — regardless of where voters live in the county — will take place at the Wells Township Hall from Saturday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 25, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. When voters appear at the hall, which is located at 6436 N. 8th St. in the “village” area of Wells, they will declare which party’s primary they are voting in and an election worker will print a ballot for them on the spot.

“It would be 44 different ballots that we would have to keep track of,” said Delta County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki, explaining that print-on-demand ballots are easier because each of the 22 precincts would require both Democratic and Republican ballots without the technology.

While all ballots will be printed on demand, voters will submit their ballots through two separate voting machines, forming two “precincts” at the township hall. Once the early voting is over, those machines will be removed from the hall and the Wells Township Precinct 1 and Precinct 2 machines will be moved in for the Election Day voters who live in the township.

There will be no early voting for the May election, which is a special local election where residents will vote whether or not to recall three county commissioners. However, there will be nine-day early voting periods for the August primary election and the November general election. Early voters in those elections will also appear at the Wells Township Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the early voting period.

Early voting may be the best option for voters who are looking to avoid crowds while still voting in person. According to Przewrocki, when Oakland County started early voting with last years’ November general election the voter turnout was only 2%.

“Two-percent, that’s a lot of expense when you add up the cost of all these election workers, because we have to have election workers for the nine days,” she said, noting the county had received $30,000 worth of voter equipment — paid for by the state — for early voting, and the election workers for Delta County’s early voting were experienced election workers from communities across the county.

Those planning to vote absentee can skip the precincts all-together, but they will be required to request an absentee ballot for whichever party they will be voting in for the presidential primary next month.

“Starting in 2018, they could be put on a permanent (absentee) ballot list where they would automatically receive an application for every election. Now, new starting this year, they can be put on a permanent ballot list, where they can just receive a ballot. They don’t have to fill out an application,” said Przewrocki.

Residents on either list will have to declare a party for the presidential primary. In that case, voters on the permanent ballot list will be sent a form to request the appropriate ballot.

Other voters who want to vote by absentee ballot can request a ballot from their city or township clerk. When they do, they will have the option to sign up for inclusion on the permanent ballot list. Anyone who is on the permanent ballot list will receive an absentee ballot for all non-primary elections automatically.

It is important to note that declaring a party for a primary ballot is not the same as registering with a party, and residents do not need to be registered with a party to receive a ballot. Choosing a party’s ballot does not affect who a voter can vote for in future elections. Many voters request ballots from across party or ideological lines to weigh in on a party with more candidates, choose their first choice among the other party’s options, or to vote for candidates they feel would be more likely to fail in the general election.