Ballot confusion solved for Bloomfield Hills resident one day before presidential primary
The day before the 2024 Presidential Primary, a Bloomfield Hills woman was unsure if her vote would be counted. After a call to FOX 2, it turns out it was a misunderstanding.
Donna Johnson has been voting for 50 years and proudly asserts she never misses an election. She claimed the city of Bloomfield Hills wouldn't send her an absentee ballot even though she's registered to vote but, as we found out, it was simple issues with knowing where to vote.
Johnson moved to American House on Telegraph in Bloomfield Hills a few years ago. She thought she had signed up to vote absentee but never received a ballot.
"It's my right to vote. it is my right and privilege as a citizen," she said.
She's registered with Secretary of State but wondered why the ballots were never sent.
"I've been voting since I was 19. I've been voting absentee ballot for 14 years. I worked the polls when I lived in Southfield and I helped people to register to vote absentee ballot. I know what I'm doing," she said.
When she called Bloomfield Hills, she was told she and other residents at American House vote in Pontiac.
"People were beat and spit on and died for the right to vote. and that's what I want to do," she said.
When Johnson called FOX 2, we called the Secretary of State's office, who then called the Pontiac city clerk to hand deliver her application for an absentee ballot -- and her ballot
"Make voting accessible to everyone and making sure everyone has their right to vote. It's no problem for me to come personally to deliver a ballot. I've done it in the past and I will continue to do it," Pontiac City Clerk Garland Doyle said.
With that, Johnson filled out her application and her ballot – and still holds up her proud voting history.
Donna Johnson has never missed an election since she was 19 -- and now her absentee ballot will be submitted, despite concerns that she wouldnt get one.