As we begin a new year and a new publication, I thought it would be helpful to reintroduce people to the variety of services the clerk’s office provides. The Saginaw County Clerk’s office consists of three divisions: Elections, Vital Records and Circuit Court Records.
The Elections Division is currently preparing to conduct audits of the 2022 November General Election. Clerk staff along with staff from the State of Michigan will visit several local municipalities to conduct a hand count of the ballots in those jurisdictions to ensure the number of ballots tabulated in the election, corresponds to the number of ballots counted by hand. These audits are open to the public and will be posted on our website. Upon wrapping up the November 2022 election, our office will begin preparing for the May 2023 Special Election. We anticipate several communities throughout the county will place proposals on the ballot for this coming May.
Most people are familiar with our Vital Records division, as many have visited to obtain copies of their birth certificates. We also maintain death certificates, marriage licenses and some military discharge documents (DD214). The Vital Records division is also the filing official for those looking to apply to get married, become a notary or obtain their concealed pistol licenses. All of these services require proof of identification, and some are confidential records that can only be accessed by a limited few. Information on who can access or utilize these services can all be found on our website at www.saginawcounty.com/clerk.
Finally, a lesser-known service of the County Clerk’s office is our Circuit Court Records Division. This office accepts court filings for cases related to civil, criminal, and family matters. This division opens, maintains, tracks, and stores all Circuit Court cases. Members of the public often have many questions on what they should do with their court case, however clerk staff are not attorneys and are prohibited by law from providing legal advice. Prior to visiting this office, we strongly recommend customers visit www.michiganlegalhelp.org. This website provides a wealth of information on a variety of legal matters for free, including assistance with filling out court forms.
As we look ahead to the rest of the year, our office will continue to provide support to expungement clinics, voter education and soon, satellite services at area municipalities. The clerk’s office is the busiest office in the courthouse, and we will continue to do all we can to provide quality services to the public.
Vanessa Guerra is a licensed attorney who achieved a law degree from the University of Detroit-Mercy. She first won elected office as a college-age trustee on the Bridgeport Township Board, and served a term-limited six years in the state Legislature before she was elected county clerk in 2020. She is an advocate for criminal records expungement and other social justice causes.
