The campaign ads are finished, the ballets printed and the polling locations opened for the day.

Only one thing is missing: your vote.

Election Day is finally here, with several key races in serious contention across the county, including several that affect the citizens of Dowagiac. Around 40,000 county residents are registered to vote this year, said Cass County Clerk Monica Kennedy.

Being a midterm election, a smaller collection of voters is expected to turnout to the 22 voting precincts this year compared to the 2012 election. In 2010, around 38 percent of the total registered voting population cast their ballots that day.

Despite the previous numbers, the forecast may not be so gloomy for this year’s election, with a number of high profile contests in contention that day.

“We’re hearing things are neck and neck in some races,” Kennedy said. “It’s going to be interesting, especially with having Mike Moroz, a local of Dowagiac, running for state representative. That will probably bring more local people out to vote.”

In addition, several school district board races are shaping up to be quite competitive, including here in Dowagiac, where three incumbents and three challengers are running for positions Tuesday.

Another notable change this year has been in a large upswing in absentee ballots cast by county residents. Kennedy said that the county has received nearly 600 such ballots, up from 400 it usually receives prior to the election.

“Most clerks around the state attribute this to the fact that both major parties are pushing them so hard this year,” she said. “They’re actually sending them out to voters directly, in the mail.”

Both Silver Creek and Ontwa townships are again organizing special boards to count their absentee forms on Tuesday, Kennedy said.

“I’m hoping to see an increase in turnout this year, given the increase in absentee ballots,” she said.

With no severe weather scheduled for the day, the county is hoping to a nice crowd at the polls throughout the day. Voters with any questions are encouraged to contact the clerk’s office, where staff will be available into the late hours

to assist residents.

“Do your research before going in,” Kennedy said. “It helps you make a better informed decisions, and it makes the voting process go much smoother.”

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

LOCAL RACES TO WATCH FOR

State Representative District 59

Aaron Miller (R) vs. Mike Moroz (D)

No matter who wins the race for the 59th district seat in the Michigan House of Representatives, the victor will wind up being a fresh face in Lansing.

Incumbent Republican Matt Lori will be stepping down later this year due to term limitations; stepping up to take his place is Republican teacher Aaron Miller, of Sturgis, and Democrat business owner Mike Moroz, of Dowagiac.

Miller is a newcomer to the political world, though he made quite the splash during the primary election in August. The dark horse candidate defeated three other candidates to win the nomination, including favorite John Bippus.

Moroz, on the other hand, ran against Lori for the seat back in 2012, where he came up short by a vote total of 22,510 vs. 13,640. This year, he secured the Democratic nomination after running unopposed during the primary.

This is the second year that Dowagiac has been included in the 59th district, which includes the Village of Cassopolis and 11 townships in Cass County, as well the entirety of St. Joseph County. Dowagiac first became a part of the district in 2012, following redistricting in Lansing.

 

State Senator District 21

John Proos (R) vs. Bette Pierman (D)

Two Berrien County residents are facing off in the race for the 21st district seat in the Michigan Senate.

Incumbent Proos, of St. Joseph, is running for reelection for the first time since being elected to the position in 2010. The senator had previously served three terms in Lansing as representative in the 79th district before electing to run for senate due to term limits.

Pierman, a retired educator and native of Benton Harbor, is running for political office for the first time. She currently serves as on the Two Rivers Coalition and the Berrien County Commission Solid Waste Committee.

The 21st district includes the counties of Cass, Berrien and, following this year’s election, St. Joseph County.

 

Cass County Commissioners

District 1: Robert Wagel (R) vs. James Jerue (D)

District 7: E. Clark Cobb (D) vs. Wendy Alexander (NP)

Five of the seven seats of the Cass County Board of Commissioners are contested this year, including two here in the Dowagiac area.

In the first district, which includes Silver Creek and Wayne townships and most of LaGrange Township, incumbent Republic and current Chair Robert Wagel is running against Democrat James Jerue. The two candidates faced off against one another previously in 2012, with Wagel coming out ahead by a vote of 1,758 to 1,254.

In the seventh district, which includes the City of Dowagiac and Pokagon Township, incumbent Democrat E. Clark Cobb is running against Wendy Alexander, who is running without a party affiliation. Cobb, the sole Democrat serving on the board, won his seat back in 2012 against Minnie Warren, who was then the chair of the commissioners.

This is the second commissioners election held since the board was reduced to seven members back in 2012.