By ALEXANDRIA

BOURNONVILLE

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson visited Marquette for the grand opening of a mobile Secretary of State office for the Upper Peninsula.

“It’s been really important to me to ensure, as someone who also has a home here in Marquette, that we effectively serve everyone throughout the state, whether they’re in Copper Harbor or all the way in Houghton or Grand Rapids or Detroit,” Benson said at the ceremony. “This dedicated mobile office will serve residents of the Upper Peninsula all throughout the year and make sure that any time they reach state services, they’ll be able to access them conveniently and effectively.”

Locations and times of where and when the office will appear are available at michigan.gov/sosmobile.

Benson said anyone can request a visit from the mobile office on the same website as well.

“We (will) visit places throughout the U.P., particularly senior centers, veterans communities, farmers markets and other gatherings, as well as homeless shelters, places where people don’t have access to transportation,” she said.

Services provided by the office are anything one could get at a normal branch office including address changes, organ donation sign-up and voting registration.

Marquette County Clerk Linda Talsma emphasized the importance of registering to vote for the Aug. 6 primaries and the Nov. 5 general election. She said that voting is how the U.P. gets a voice in what happens to the country.

State Rep. Jenn Hill of the 109th House District was also present for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Hill said this mobile office will help to serve the needs of the expansive 109th House District which covers all of Marquette, Baraga and Alger counties as well as the Eastern two-thirds of Dickinson County.

“It is 140 miles by 110 miles,” Hill said. “I really appreciate the forward thinking of Secretary of State Benson and the staff who have taken on the challenge of bringing these services out to the public and we all deserve to have that.”

Marquette Mayor Sally Davis also attended the ceremony and thanked Benson for bringing an accessible Secretary of State office to the U.P.

Alexandria Bournonville can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 506. Her email address is abournonville@miningjournal.net.