FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 4, 2012

CONTACT:

Carmella Sabaugh 586-469-7939

County clerk to stay open until midnight Tuesday
to accept voter registrations

Macomb County Clerk / Register of Deeds Carmella Sabaugh will keep her office open until midnight on Tuesday, October 9 to accept voter registration forms. Tuesday is the last day to register to vote in the November 6 Presidential Election.

“So far we have over 15,000 new Macomb County voters registered since January and interest is high,” said Sabaugh. “Every citizen should register to vote no matter who you plan to vote for.”

As of today there are 614,000 Macomb County registered voters. For the 2008 Presidential Election, the county had 610,000 registered voters.

Michigan citizens do not have to declare a party when registering to vote.

Contrary to urban legend, registering to vote does not increase your chance of getting called for jury duty. Michigan jury duty lists come from the Secretary of State driver’s license and Michigan identification card lists, not from voter registration lists.

To register to vote or change your address, you may download the form on the county clerk’s web site, www.macombcountymi.gov/clerksoffice, or the Secretary of State’s web site, and submit it in person at the Macomb County Clerk’s Office on Tuesday, October 9 until midnight at the Macomb County Court Building, 40 North Main, Mount Clemens, north of Cass Avenue, between Northbound Gratiot and Main Street.

Sabaugh’s staff will have a date and time stamp, synchronized to the U.S. Naval Observatory official time web site, as was done on the candidate filing deadline. County Clerk UAW and AFSCME union staff are volunteering their time Tuesday evening so there is no additional taxpayer cost.

Evening hours are not new to Sabaugh who was the first Michigan county clerk to adopt evening hours. Her office is open until 7 p.m. every Wednesday. Staying open late to accept voter registration applications is also similar to how some U.S. Post Offices stay open late on the tax filing deadline.

For more information regarding registering to vote or obtaining an absent voter ballot visit: www.macombcountymi.gov/clerksoffice or call (585) 469-5209.

Sabaugh has long been a proponent of online voter registration, which would reduce the risk of fraud and save money.

PHOTO EDITOR: Sabaugh will be personally accepting voter registrations until midnight Tuesday.

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