In-person early voting starts tomorrow, October 26 for the November 5 general election.

Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler tells us a 2022 ballot initiative now requires each county to offer at least nine days of early voting ahead of major elections. The county clerk’s office runs two early voting sites, while two townships in the county run their own.

Tyler says if you show up to vote early, there are a few things you should know.

“Every voter should remember to bring an ID,” Tyler said. “You can take your AV in and you can tabulate it at the early voting site. Please do not remove the stub off your AV ballot and make sure it’s placed in a secrecy sleeve when you bring it to the early voting site.”

Tyler says voters should be sure to check both sides of their ballot because some of them are double-sided.

This is the third time Berrien County has held the early in-person voting, and Tyler says she expects this time, a lot of voters will use the option.

“12 years as a county clerk, November’s election has the highest results. It usually triples from previous elections.”

Tyler says the county’s early voting sites are Lake Michigan College in Benton Township for those in the northern half of the county and the Berrien County South County Building in Niles for those in the southern half. Benton Township and Bainbridge Township also run their own early voting sites. If you’re not sure where you’re supposed to go, check the Berrien County Clerk’s website.

Early voting will continue through November 3, and the hours of operation can be seen below.

Ballots cast as part of early voting will not actually be counted until Election Day. Tyler says on that day, the clerk’s office will have no tabulation machines connected to the internet, just for security purposes. Local clerks will all have to physically bring their results to the county clerk, meaning we probably won’t have election results until late.

In North County you can vote at:
Lake Michigan College
Todd Center
2785 E. Napier Avenue in Benton Harbor

In South County you can vote at:
Berrien County South County Building
1205 N. Front Street in Niles

The hours vary by date:
Saturday, October 26 — Tuesday, October 29, 2024 — 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Wednesday, October 30 — 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday, October 31, 2024 — Sunday, November 3 — 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM