2021 election may not be ‘exciting,’ but you should still show up

by ELINOR EPPERSON
Contributor

This year’s election is decidedly subdued compared to last year’s, but that doesn’t mean Washtenaw County residents should sit it out. The League of Women Voters encourages voters to show up at local and state elections, even though they aren’t as “exciting” as presidential elections. 

“So much of what happens to us as residents happens at the state and local level,” says Joan Sampieri, president of the League of Women Voters Washtenaw County. Founded in 1920 as a resource for newly enfranchised women voters, the league “[fights] for election protection, democratic reforms and equal access to the ballot,” according to their website. The league also provides education resources for voters, such as vote411.org, a comprehensive guide to ballots across the country. 

Attendance at “off-year elections” is usually “abysmally low,” Sampieri says. National elections get far more attention, with commercials and highway billboards, while local and state issues have a much smaller platform. This year, only Ann Arbor, Milan, Chelsea, Saline and Pittsfield Township have candidates or initiatives to vote on. 

Ann Arbor ballot questions

Ann Arbor’s ballot includes four proposals, all related to the city’s charter. A charter consists of “the rules that manage how a city conducts itself,” similar to the United States Constitution, Sampieri says. If approved, these proposals would amend the city charter and change how the city government operates. 

Proposal A would change the city’s process for hiring contractors to perform work for the city. Currently, the city must award contracts to “the lowest responsible bidder,” meaning the contractor that demonstrates they are capable of doing the work requested and offers the best price. Proposal A would change this to allow the city to hire “the bidder that is deemed the best value to the City.” That value might be found in anything from a contractor’s participation in training programs, to whether a bidder provides adequate employee benefits or has previously violated worker-protection laws. City officials last year enacted a “responsible contractor policy,” which would guide the process.

Proposal B would amend the city charter to establish ranked-choice voting for mayoral and city council candidates, if the state authorizes that voting system. If enacted, Ann Arbor residents would decide their local representatives — not by selecting a single candidate — but by ranking multiple candidates for each office. Changes to state laws concerning ballots would then be needed as well as approval of vote-counting machines to permit ranking. Lansing voters will also decide whether they want to switch to ranked-choice voting.

Proposals C and D would change what kinds of purchases the City Administrator can make. The City Administrator works for city council and the mayor, overseeing the city’s budget, operations and services. 

The League of Women Voters does not take not a position on ballot initiatives unless they fit within the group’s already-established goals. Before publicly declaring a stance on a proposal, the league conducts research and presents the results to its members, who vote to reach consensus on the issue. 

For now, the Washtenaw and Michigan chapters of the league are focused on equal access to voting. In March, legislators introduced 39 bills in the state house that the League of Women Voters League considers voter suppression initiatives. Threats to voter rights are “of imminent concern,” Sampieri says. 

The deadline for online voter registration has passed, but voters can still register in-person at their city or township clerk’s office. To learn more about what is on the ballot in Washtenaw County, check the county’s website or vote411.org. 

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