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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula August 10, 2002 Text and photos © 2002 Michele Anderson

Women participate in Keweenaw County voting, politics

EAGLE RIVER -- Jennifer Granholm's victory in the Aug. 6 primary election is a historic "first" since she is the first woman to receive a major party nomination for Governor of Michigan. She offers a role model for Michigan women of the 21st century who may want to enter the challenging "man's world" of politics.

Yet local Michigan women have been involved in politics and the democratic right and privilege (some would say obligation) of voting for some time.

In the Courthouse in Eagle River -- until midnight on Tuesday night, Aug. 6 -- one could not help noticing the presence of the many women behind the scenes who do the work of "manning" the polls, delivering the ballots and recording the votes.

Keweenaw County Clerk Marilyn Winquist, left, supervises as Jan Gustafson, precinct inspector for Sherman Township, feeds a ballot into the Accuvote machine during the central count of votes for the primary election on Tuesday evening, Aug. 6, 2002, in the Courthouse in Eagle River. Assisting at right is Carol Patrick, counting board member.

Keweenaw County Clerk Marilyn Winquist is an example of a dedicated, professional woman who puts in long hours for the county.

Deputy Clerk Julie Carlson said Winquist worked all day and then until midnight on Aug. 6, during the primary election. Carlson herself worked her regular 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. day and took a short break, returning to work from 7:30 p.m. until midnight for the vote counting in the Courthouse.

"Marilyn never went home at all," Carlson said.

Julie Carlson, right, Keweenaw County deputy clerk, and Carol Patrick, center, assist as Mary Kay Masnado, Eagle Harbor Township precinct inspector, feeds a primary election ballot into the Accuvote machine on Aug. 6, 2002, in the Courthouse in Eagle River.

Winquist, who has held the elected position of County Clerk since 1985, said she is used to working extra hours, especially this year because of the county reapportionment and redistricting -- required after the 2000 census.

"You have to go into voter registration records and make sure the right streets are put into the new districts," Winquist said.

She noted the redistricting also required researching the names of voters who were changed to a new district and then printing out identification cards for every voter with a district change.

"Normally a township clerk would do that," Winquist added. 

She said the State of Michigan gave computers for this purpose to large townships.

"The township clerks are responsible for voter registration (but) because Keweenaw County is so small the state gave the computer to the county," Winquist explained.

The reapportionment of the county was done by a committee made up of the County Clerk, the County Treasurer, the Chair of the Republican Party, the Chair of the Democratic Party and the County Prosecuting Attorney, Winquist noted.

"It's been a long, hard year," she said, as she made copies of the final voting results to fax to the media.

Keweenaw County also has only one Accuvote machine for counting the votes. Winquist said only Allouez Township, with the largest voter population, uses the Accuvote machine at the polls during the voting. It is then brought to the Courthouse for the central count.

"The other four townships bring their secured ballots to the Courthouse to be counted," Winquist said.

Joyce Pavolich of Allouez Township, who formerly served as Assistant Clerk for Keweenaw County, balances two duties during the central vote count in the Courthouse. While meticulously copying down the final vote counts, she answers the phone -- reporting the results to the media.

If the machine rejects a ballot because its scanner cannot read it (as in the case of a ballot marked with blue ink), it has to be duplicated by hand. In the partisan primary, the Accuvote machine automatically invalidates any split vote, since voters may vote for one party only. It still counts the nonpartisan votes for judges and for proposals. (Splitting ballots is allowed in the November election.)* (See Editor's Note below)

Winquist noted Keweenaw County and Calumet Township were the first in the local area to use an Accuvote machine.

All four of the precinct inspectors for Eagle Harbor Township (all women) brought their township's ballots to the Courthouse Tuesday evening after working all day at the polls. More than half of the registered voters in Eagle Harbor Township voted in the primary (131 out of 235) according to Gery Royce, precinct chairperson.

All four of Eagle Harbor Township's precinct inspectors delivered the Aug. 6 primary ballots to the Courthouse on Tuesday evening. Pictured, from left, are Chairperson Gery Royce, Deputy Clerk Chris Black, Joyce Christenson and Mary Kay Masnado.

"We always have a good turnout," Royce said.

In Keweenaw County as a whole, about 40 percent of the registered voters voted in the August 6 primary: 702 out of 1,764. In Allouez Township 371 voted out of 1,176 registered; in Grant Township, 133 out of 201; in Houghton Township 34 out of 102; and in Sherman Township, the highest percentage -- 33 out of 50.

On the precinct boards, women outnumbered men working at the polls. As in Eagle Harbor, Allouez Township had all women -- a total of 10. Grant had three men and two women; Houghton had three men and three women; Sherman had three women and two men.

Grant Township ballots were the last to arrive Tuesday night, delivered by Township Clerk Kelly Coltas, accompanied by her parents, Patricia Ann Walters and Keith Walters, who is a member of the County Zoning/Planning Commission.

Patricia Ann said she didn't mind having both her husband and her daughter involved in politics.

"We're part of the community, and it's very immediate," she said. "You know what's going on from all points of view."

Keweenaw County Clerk Marilyn Winquist, left, directs Grant Township Clerk Kelly Coltas in "duplicating" a ballot the Accuvot machine scanner failed to read because the ballot was marked with a blue pen. In the background is Coltas' father, Keith Walters,  a member of the county Zoning/Planning Commission. Not pictured, but present, was Coltas' mother, Patricia Ann Walters.

Other than Jennifer Granholm for Governor, the Keweenaw County primary ballot listed three women candidates for local offices: Candy (Annette) Gagnon, former Keweenaw County commissioner, ran unopposed as a Democrat for the position of County Commissioner from District 3. Adeline Schmidt, Sherman Township clerk, ran unopposed as a Republican; and Karen Trucks-Karl, Grant Township treasurer, also ran unopposed.

Gagnon to challenge Bjorn in November

Gagnon received 48 votes. In November she will challenge Republican incumbent County Commissioner Eric Bjorn, who defeated her in the 2000 election. Bjorn, also unopposed in the primary, received 10 votes.

Gagnon, who served on the Board of Commissioners from January of 1993 to the end of 2000, said she liked being on the Board and decided to run again.

"I thought I'd try and help the county," she said. "I think more (women) should get involved in politics."

She cites the "work industry" in Keweenaw as her main concern.

"I don't want to see a big mall or anything, but I'd like to see something that would provide work for the younger generation. I've got three children who have moved away," Gagnon said. "All of them would like to be here, but there's no way of earning a living."

She said her son Don works in a pallet plant in Wausau, Wis.; her son Michael works for Crestline Windows in Mosinee, Wis.; and her daughter, Candice, works in an electronics plant in Detroit.

Gagnon said she would "definitely" like to see development of Mohawk's former Louisiana Pacific site, which has been discussed as a possible future site for industry or business.

"It's just sitting there bare," she noted.

Gagnon said she would be supportive of land use planning "if it's done right."

Redistricting affects candidates

Because of the redistricting, District 3 now includes most of Mohawk. Present County Commissioner Jeffrey Turnquist of Mohawk decided not to run for re-election. He and Bjorn are now in the same district. District 2, formerly Mohawk, now includes Eagle Harbor and Houghton townships. The new District 1 now includes Grant Township, Sherman Township and part of Fulton (in Allouez Township).

The change in District 1 means that Keweenaw County Commissioner Don Keith of Eagle Harbor will represent District 2 instead of District 1 if he is re-elected in November. Keith, a Republican, received 33 votes in the primary.

Keith has often encouraged women to participate in county government.

"More than 50 percent of the taxpaying voters in Keweenaw County are of the female gender, and I think it is only reasonable to have more representation -- on the county level -- of the ladies of Keweenaw County," Keith said. "I think that they have a great deal to contribute -- years of experience as well as practical and professional knowledge."

Keith recently nominated two women -- Pauline Johnson of Ahmeek and Marilyn Marshall of Eagle Harbor -- to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals, and they were appointed.

"They have been a mediating and balancing influence in a previously all-male board," Keith said.

Two candidates ran for the open commissioner's seat for District 1 -- Tom Collins of Lac La Belle and Clyde Wescoat II of Copper Harbor. Wescoat defeated Collins by only 12 votes (75 to 63).

Anita Campbell, co-chair of the Grant Township Land Use Planning Committee, who has worked closely with Collins on the committee, said she was happy with his good showing in the election, despite the defeat.

"Just 12 votes -- that was really close," Campbell said. I was very impressed with Tom's positive campaign. He tried to talk with every voter in the district and listen to their concerns."

Campbell said she had organized a large calling committee -- mostly women -- for Collins.

"We tried to contact each of the (approximately) 400 voters in the district," she said.

A Democratic race for County Road Commissioner may have prevented both Collins and Wescoat from receiving more Republican votes in the partisan primary.

Attorney Joel Tuoriniemi of Mohawk received 167 votes (including 145 from Allouez Township) to win the disputed Democratic race for a position of Road Commissioner. He will run against Republican Gary Hubbard (who ran unopposed and received 146 votes) in November. Road Commissioner Fred Gaabo will retire at the end of this term. Tuoriniemi ran against three other Democrats: Bruce Olson of Eagle Harbor, Jack Ketola of Mohawk and Al Gunnari of Mohawk.

The Keweenaw County Road Commission and the County Board of Commissioners (all elected offices) and the County Zoning/Planning Commission (appointed offices) are all-male boards.

Zoning Administrator and Equalization Director Jane Pelto sits in on the Zoning/Planning Commission meetings and answers zoning questions for both the board and the audience. Appointed by the County Board of Commissioners, Pelto has put in many years of service. (She was not available for comment for this article.)

Keweenaw voters choose Granholm, approve proposals

In the Primary race for Governor, Jennifer Granholm received a total of 221 votes in Keweenaw County, while her November opponent, Republican Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus, received 166. James Blanchard was the second choice of Keweenaw County Democratic voters: He received 127 votes, while Democrat U.S. Rep. David Bonior received 80 votes. Republican State Sen. John "Joe" Schwarz received 30 votes.

Keweenaw voters approved County Proposal A to establish separate tax limitation millage rates for four years as follows: County, 6.25 mills; Allouez, Eagle Harbor and Houghton townships, 1.30 mills; Grant Township, 2.35 mills; Sherman Township, 1.35 mills; Copper Country Intermediate School District, .40 mills. The total is not to exceed 15 mills.

Proposal A will save money for the county, Winquist said, since it saves having an allocation board meeting every spring.

Eagle Harbor Township voters authorized renewal of 1 mill for fire protection and fire department operating expenses.

Keweenaw County voters also voted in favor of State Proposals 1 and 2.

Proposal 1 will require lawmakers to approve their salary increases by a majority vote. They will also be required to affirm those of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and Supreme Court justices.

Proposal 2 will benefit the Natural Resources Trust Fund and outdoor recreation, parks, lakes and wildlife.** (See Editor's Note.)

Editor's Notes: *See "Partisan Primary could pose dilemma for Keweenaw voters" (Aug. 2, 2002). ** See "See "Why vote YES on Proposal 2" (Aug. 5, 2002).

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