EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – WKAR, an East Lansing affiliate for NPR and PBS, and the City of East Lansing have partnered together to host an early voting center for the November election on the campus of Michigan State University.

According to WKAR, The East Lansing Early Voting Center will be in WKAR TV Studio B in the Communication Arts & Sciences building. It will open on Monday, Oct. 21 and run daily through Sunday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Michigan voters approved early voting in a November 2022 ballot proposal.

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“Many on-campus residents will find the location to be a destination that is walkable and accessible via public transportation,” WKAR said.

There are many questions.

However, questions linger. Why is a media entity partnering with the government? East Lansing City Hall is across the street, so why is the early voting center being hosted on campus? The implied wording “on campus residents” refers to students, but wouldn’t students be voting in person in their own districts or by absentee in their own districts?

Michigan News Source reached out to WKAR, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, and East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks and asked these questions but none responded by press time on Wednesday evening.

Update August 29, 2024: Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum responded before noon on Thursday, saying:

“Both East Lansing Early Voting Centers are open to all East Lansing Voters who wish to utilize this option.  Clerk Wicks has made a concerted effort to make voting an easy, accessible, safe, and secure process in East Lansing, and I am confident that work will continue with the 2024 November Election.

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In Michigan, prospective voters may register to vote at the place that they live up to and including on Election Day with the clerk of that jurisdiction. They must show proof of identity and residency to do so. That means that a student may register to vote at their college dorm room if they wish (since that is where they live) and vote there. If they are registered to vote wherever they are coming to us from, they may, of course, remain registered there and vote via absentee, in-person during early voting or on Election Day as provided for under the Michigan Constitution and State Statute.”

Clerk Wicks responded on Thursday morning with this email:

“According to the email you sent, your request came in at 2:57 yesterday afternoon for a 5:00 deadline, and yet, your reporting seems to indicate that Clerk Byrum and I were negligent by not timely responding. 

Furthermore, I would suggest that you do your research and learn about the early voting requirements that came about in 2022 before calling in to question our efforts to make sure every qualified voter has access to the ballot. 

I’m not sure how you can call yourself a journalist with this ‘uninformed’ reporting.”

Michigan News Source responded, “My questions still stand.  I’m still seeking clarification on all questions. If your above email is not your official statement, please send back a revised comment without calling me names or making derogatory comments about my credentials. All our jobs have deadlines. Please respond to my questions by noon today and I can update the article.”

Wicks sent one last correspondence which said, “I also have deadlines which preclude yours.”

MSU and WKAR boast “informed decisions” and serving the community.

MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz told WKAR “Partnering with East Lansing helps us better serve the community we share, support the democracy we cherish and develop the informed and engaged citizens we need to navigate the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

WKAR general manager Shawn Turner picked up where Guskiewicz left off. “As the public media station serving East Lansing and the surrounding area, WKAR is working hard to ensure that our community has access to the election news, information, and resources needed to make informed decisions,” Turner said.