Need To Know: Voting in the Feb. 28 Presidential Primary

With the absentee ballots mailed out and the elections inspectors hired, Birmingham is quickly wrapping up its preparations for the Feb. 28 presidential primary.

Though there are no local issues on the ballot, City Clerk Laura Broski said she still expects a 30 percent voter turnout for the Feb. 28 primary, in which Birmingham's Republican voters will have the chance to vote for which candidate should represent the party in the 2012 presidential elections.

Democrats also have the chance to vote, though President Barack Obama will be the only name on the Democratic ballot.

So far, Broski said 1,533 absentee ballots have been mailed out for the Feb. 28 primary, all of which must be turned in by 8 p.m. on election day.

Birmingham's voter turnout in last primary was 35 percent

Historically, voter turnout in Birmingham hovers just south of 30 percent. Last fall, in which four city commission and two school board seats were up for grabs.

During the last presidential primary, meanwhile, voter turnout in Birmingham was 35 percent. During that vote, Mitt Romney received 52 percent of the Republican vote, followed by John McCain with 31 percent.

In addition, more Republicans voted in Birmingham's last primary than Democrats; there were 3,626 votes for the Republican ballot but only 1,625 votes on the Democratic ballot.

During the general election in November 2008, meanwhile, Birmingham saw a 79 percent voter turnout, with Barack Obama receiving 52 percent of the vote.

General information

Whether you vote absentee or in person, here's what you need to know going into the Feb. 28 presidential primary.

• Voters must be registered with the city at least 30 days prior to the election. They must also be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old and a resident of Birmingham for at least 30 days.
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• Voters need to bring their photo identification to the polls. If they do not have one, they will be asked to complete an affidavit.
• Voters will have the option to vote on a Republican of Democratic ballot, but they must choose one. A sample ballot can be found at www.bhamgov.org/vote.

Voting absentee

If you are unable to vote without assistance, 60 years old or older, expect to be absent on election day or unable to vote on Feb. 28 for any other reason, you can apply for an absentee ballot. Here's what you need to know:

• You can apply for an absentee ballot at the city clerk's office in person (between 8 a.m.-5 p.m.), by mail (at the address below), fax or request a ballot by phone.
• The clerk's office will also be open on Feb. 25 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. to issue and accept absentee ballots.
• Absentee ballots will be issued until 4 p.m. the Monday before the election.
• All ballots must be returned to the clerk's office by 8 p.m. on election day. If you're curious, track your absentee ballot with the Oakland County Absentee Ballot Tracker.

Birmingham City Clerk's Office:

• Phone: 248-530-1800
• Fax: 248-530-1080
• Email: lbroski@bhamgov.org
• Address:
  City Clerk
  151 Martin St., first floor
  Birmingham, MI 48012