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We love using this space to underscore the lofty achievements of Superiorland residents of one stripe and another. One such resident, Marquette County Clerk Linda Talsma, was recently named Michigan Association of County Clerks 2026 Clerk of the Year, recognition, we believe, that’s well deserved and long overdue.
When contacted by The Mining Journal, Talsma credited her fellow clerks around the state with playing a key role in the award. "Being chosen clerk of the year by my fellow clerks is just such an amazing honor. We work side-by-side on so many issues. My counterparts around the state, I couldn't do my job without them," she said.
While we won't disagree with Talsma’s assessment, we'd simply add that it starts with the hard work she invests in her job, a job which, keep in mind, has radically changed over the years as the environment it takes place in has changed.
At one point in time, and not that many years ago, either, overseeing a county clerk’s office was largely keeping the trains running on time. That included, but certainly wasn’t limited to, functioning as the clerk of the circuit court (and family court), managing and securing all official court files and legal documents, serving as clerk to the county board of commissioners and county jury board, processing applications for notary public commissions, issuing concealed pistol licenses, managing the licensing board. The list is a lengthy one.
What has changed is the infusion of political polarization into the elections process. The clerk, after all, acts as the chief election official of the county, supervising all national, state, local and school elections. The clerk programs voting equipment, prepares and orders ballots and tabulates election results on election night.
County clerks nowadays must navigate a political minefield when setting up elections, ballots and managing the numbers reported to them. With the culture wars at an all-time high and the midterms just around the corner, Talsma and others doing that kind of work deserve our support.
Our congratulations go out to Marquette County Clerk Linda Talsma for a job well done.