Heavy voter turnout is expected for next Tuesday’s election

By Charles Sercombe
Voters will be heading out to the polls next Tuesday (Nov. 6).
City Clerk August Gitschlag said he is expecting a high voter turnout.
“After the last couple of elections people realize elections have consequences,” Gitschlag said.
If you won’t be able to make it to the polls on Tuesday – or if you are 60 years or older – you can vote in city hall by absentee ballot on Saturday (Nov. 3) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This election features prominent races for US senator, congress, the governor, state attorney general, secretary of state and a slew of judges, including two seats on the State Supreme Court.
Democrats nationwide are hoping to take control of the US House of Representatives. According to national polls, they stand a good chance at that – but then again polls were wildly off in the 2016 presidential election.
That’s when Donald Trump pulled an upset victory over Hillary Clinton – although Clinton won the national popular vote by 3 million.
According to polls, Democrats have less of a chance in taking over the Senate, and in fact could lose up to three seats.
Senator Debbie Stabenow is running for re-election and will be on Tuesday’s ballot. Michigan’s other senator, Gary Peters, is not up for re-election.
Stabenow’s Republican challenger, John James, is behind in the race, but according to polls he has been catching up.
Hamtramck voters have traditionally voted in support of Democratic candidates.
Nationwide voter turnout is expected to be high because of the heated races between Democrats and Republicans.
In Hamtramck, there are 820 absentee ballots that have been sent out, and about half have so far returned to the city clerk.
Locally, there are two races of note.
Hamtramck 31st District Court Judge Alexis Krot is facing challenger John Gorniak, an attorney who moved to Hamtramck several months ago.
The Public School Board race suddenly became interesting. There are two seats on the ballot, but only one incumbent, Magdalena Srodek, who is the president of the board, is seeking re-election.
Boardmember Ataur Khan initially declined to seek another term, and no one else filed to be on the November ballot – leaving one seat open.
But in the last couple of weeks Khan changed his mind and is now running as a write-in candidate.
Another person, Jihan Aiyash, has jumped into the race and is running as a write-in candidate. The two top vote-getters will fill the two seats – meaning Srodek could be knocked out of the race.
Local polling precincts open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Nov. 2, 2018