MANISTEE — The public is invited to attend a free voter information seminar, “Anatomy of an Election,” at 7 p.m. March 19 at West Shore Community College in downtown Manistee.
According to the organizer, the Manistee County Democratic Party, the event will provide an in-depth look at how Michigan elections are conducted and the work performed by city and county clerks who oversee elections.
The seminar is intended to help voters better understand how elections operate and the role clerks play in administering them.
Voting information will be presented by Marie McKenna-Wicks, who has worked for 25 years in the public and nonprofit sectors. Her experience includes roles as legislative coordinator for the Michigan Municipal League, assistant city manager and city clerk of East Lansing for 14 years and elections specialist for the state’s Bureau of Elections.
“Marie has wide expertise in how Michigan elections function and has spent part of her career training city and county clerks on how to conduct elections that strictly adhere to the letter of the law,” said John Helge, chair of the Manistee County Democratic Party.
Helge said the purpose of the event is to educate voters about the work clerks do to implement checks and balances that result in free, fair and accurate elections and to prevent misinformation from making their jobs harder.
Following the presentation, attendees will hear from candidates on the 2026 ballot, including Rebecca Amidon, a Manistee resident running for the Michigan State Senate’s 32nd District, and Brianna T. Scott, chair of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.
Questions about the town hall may be directed to Dawn Bense at grandma.snowmaker@gmail.com.