Ever wonder how elections are run and votes are counted? Come find out! Former East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks will present Election Education for Everyday People, 6-8 pm on Thursday, September 17, at the Michigan Tech Van Pelt Library, in the East Reading Room. Marie Wicks will describe how voter registration and the counting of ballots happens in Michigan, and how local voting precincts work to ensure that voting is secure and accurate. This factual, non-partisan presentation will share a public understanding of how state elections are administered, enhancing public understanding informed about our processes and procedures.

The Michigan Tech campus community and the greater Keweenaw community are invited to attend. Snacks will be provided.

This event is hosted by Up North Advocacy Education Fund with co-sponsored support from Michigan United, and Michigan Tech's Voter Engagement Coalition, which promotes non-partisan civic learning and participation at Michigan Tech.

"Elections are safe, secure, and thanks to recent reforms — more accessible than ever. As a seasoned election administrator myself, I look forward to providing information about how our elections are conducted in transparent ways,” said Marie Wicks, the event speaker. “As we move into this important election cycle, Michigan voters should feel confident that their ballots will count whether voting in person or absentee. I am very much looking forward to providing reassurance and answering questions that voters have."

“There are a lot of concerns floating around about our elections,” said Lexi Tater, the Western Upper Peninsula Organizer at Up North Advocacy Education Fund. “It will be good for myself and my community to have these issues addressed.”

A volunteer with Up North Advocacy Education Fund and Michigan Tech student, Olivia Scheinker, says “Marie’s experience as a former East Lansing City Clerk for 8 years reassures me that the information given in this presentation is accurate, has good information about the electoral process, will help our community trust the process more, and will encourage more people to vote.”

This is one event in a broader Up North Advocacy Education Fund initiative across the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, with additional tour stops in Alpha (Sept. 21), Marquette (Sept. 22), Newberry (Sept. 24), Sault Ste. Marie (Sept. 24), Gaylord (Sept. 28), Petoskey (Sept. 29), Bellaire (Sept. 30), and Drummond Island (Oct. 1). For more information, and to register at any of the locations, please visit https://actionnetwork.org/campaigns/election-education-for-everyday-people?source=direct_link&.