Voters are encouraged to go to the polls next Tuesday, March 8, for the presidential primary election in Michigan.
The ballot in Martin, Watson, Salem and Hopkins townships will be a little more substantial because of the special general election for 80th District State Representative to replace Cindy Gamrat, who was expelled last September.
Republican Mary Whiteford of South Haven and Democrat David Gernant of Plainwell will vie for the office. Whiteford, a registered nurse and business owner, defeated six other candidates in the GOP primary in November. Gernant, a retired judge who returned to Michigan after living in Oregon, was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
The 80th District includes all of Allegan County except the City of Wayland and Wayland, Leighton and Dorr townships.
Martin Township voters will be asked to approve a renewal of four-mill levy for local roads, which expired at the end of 2015. Headlee Amendment provisions rolled back the amount to 3.996 mills, but the township will ask voters to approve 4.0 mills.
The levy would be for 10 years, from 2016 through 2025 inclusive, and would raise about $373,000 in the first year.
The most hyped part of the election for all of West Michigan is the presidential primary.
On the Republican side, there essentially are four candidates left standing, including front-runner businessman and reality TV star Donald Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich. Though other names, such as that of Ben Carson, will be on the ballot, they have suspended their campaigns.
The Democrats now are down to two candidates — former Secretary of State and New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
PHOTOS: Mary Whiteford David Gernant
