Stories indexed with the term ‘Washtenaw County probate court’

Aug. 5 Primary: Procrastinator’s Guide

In Ann Arbor, local elections are mostly determined in the Democratic primary, held this year on Tuesday, Aug. 5. The mayoral race is well contested with four Democratic candidates. Races in three of the city’s five wards offer actively contested races.

"Vote Here" sign designating an Ann Arbor polling location for a previous election.

“Vote Here” sign designating an Ann Arbor polling location for a previous election.

No Republicans are running for mayor or in any of the city council races. Only one independent candidate – Bryan Kelly, who’s running for mayor – will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Races for probate judge and circuit court judge offer fields of five and three candidates, respectively.

This article provides a roundup of Chronicle election coverage, for anyone who’s still studying up on the candidates. It includes links to reports and recordings of candidate forums, campaign finance data, analysis and other information. Links are also provided to candidate websites and League of Women Voters candidate profiles.

If you’re not sure whether you’re registered to vote or you’re not sure which ward you live in, Michigan’s Secretary of State website offers an easy way to check. The site also lets you look at a sample ballot. To give you a general idea of what ward you live in, check out this ward boundary map.

Polls open on Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Readers can follow along during the day as The Chronicle goes poll-hopping, checking in at locations throughout the city. We’ll also be posting updates with results starting soon after the polls close. The Washtenaw County elections division website also provides unofficial results on election night.

Below you’ll find more information on the Ann Arbor mayoral and city council candidates, as well as judicial candidates for the probate and 22nd circuit courts. [Full Story]

Washtenaw Dems Host Judicial Forum

The Washtenaw County Democratic Party is hosting a forum for candidates in county judicial races this morning (July 19, 2014) at 10 a.m. at the Pittsfield Township Hall on Michigan Avenue near Platt Road.

The Chronicle plans to provide a live audio broadcast from the event. The embedded live-stream player below will be replaced with an audio recording after the event is over.

Two contested races will appear on the ballot for the Aug. 5, 2014 primary – one for the circuit court and the other for the probate court.

The circuit court tries felonies and criminal matters, family law, and civil disputes where claims are greater than $25,000. However, the docket for this particular seat on the circuit court is heavily weighted … [Full Story]

Owdziej to Fill Wheeler’s Seat on Court

The vacancy in the Washtenaw County probate court left by Nancy Wheeler’s retirement is being filled prior to the November election through a gubernatorial appointment of one of the candidates. Gov. Rick Snyder announced on June 2, 2014 that he’d be appointing Julia B. Owdziej to fill the spot.

Owdziej is one of five candidates in a primary race that also includes, Tracy Van den Bergh, Constance L. Jones, Tamara Garwood, Jane A. Bassett.

Wheeler had been scheduled to retire at the end of the year, but the court announced on May 1 that she would be retiring early due to health concerns.

Owdziej will need to prevail as one of the top two vote-getters in the … [Full Story]