WYOMING, Mich. — With the November election less than a week away, Wyoming residents need to know where to vote as the city has made significant changes to its voting locations.
The city of Wyoming has consolidated its voting precincts from 30 to 18 for the upcoming election, a change that officials say reflects how residents are increasingly choosing to vote.
I spoke with Kelli Vandenburg, the Wyoming city clerk, about these changes and how they will affect neighbors.
"Back in December of 2023 there were some legislative changes that allow us to basically consolidate some of our precincts. That legislative action took the size, the limit, from 2,999 voters to 4,999 voters," Vanderburg said.
Vanderburg says this change is happening because how neighbors voting habits have changed.
"So in many elections, we saw relatively few voters showing up in the precincts, especially for, you know, some of the smaller scale elections," she said.
Neighbors are utilizing both early and absentee voting options more frequently than in previous years.
"Prior to 2018 there were six statutory reasons that allowed a voter to vote an absentee ballot. And after that, we in Michigan here adopted the no reason absentee so that opened up absentee voting to all voters," Vanderburg said.
It's a trend the city has started to notice across multiple elections.
"In some elections, we see 50% or more of the ballots cast in any given election from that absentee pool," Vanderburg said. "That means we have far fewer people showing up at the precinct to vote on Election Day."
The change to precincts helps the city reduce costs significantly.
"I anticipate we'll save approximately $30,000 a year in election inspector wages," Vanderburg said. That doesn't even begin to touch on paper supplies and precinct supplies, our delivery costs, our rental of facilities."
But will this impact Wyoming residents on Election Day? Vandenburg doesn't think so.
"If I'm a voter and I go to the right location, I think their experience will be fairly similar to what they've experienced before, voting experience in a local, smaller scale election like the one we have on Tuesday. I think you're not generally waiting in a line," she said.
The list for all 18 precincts can be found below:
Ward 1, Precinct 1 – Godwin Physical Education Building
Ward 1, Precinct 2 – Ideal Park Activity Center
Ward 1, Precinct 3 – Gezon Parkway Fire Station Community Room
Ward 1, Precinct 4 – Sunset Park Church of God
Ward 1, Precinct 5 – Grand Rapids First Church
Ward 1, Precinct 6 – Together Church
Ward 2, Precinct 7 – Wyoming Public Library
Ward 2, Precinct 8 – Wyoming Senior Center
Ward 2, Precinct 9 – Pinery Park Lodge
Ward 2, Precinct 10 – Grace Christian University
Ward 2, Precinct 11 – Moose Lodge No. 763
Ward 2, Precinct 12 – Wesley Park Methodist Church
Ward 3, Precinct 13 – Grace Reformed Church
Ward 3, Precinct 14 – Calvary Christian Reformed
Ward 3, Precinct 15 – Christ Lutheran Church
Ward 3, Precinct 16 – Bethany United Reformed Church
Ward 3, Precinct 17 – Resurrection Life Church
Ward 3, Precinct 18 – Resurrection Life Church
For more information on the changes click here.
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