To help our community members make informed choices in the upcoming election, we asked candidates running for important local, state, and national seats to participate in our Forum to help you get to know them better. Today, meet Meredith Place.

Born and raised in a small town in Eastern Iowa, Meredith Place was raised on the idea that politics is personal from her parents who were a teacher and disabled Vietnam Veteran. “Growing up, I learned that hard work and determination were recipes for success, and caring for your neighbors was a moral responsibility,” said Meredith. Running to represent Kalamazoo County as Kalamazoo County Clerk/Register of Deeds, Meredith’s top priorities would include, improving access to and participation in our democracy, expanding voter outreach, and engagement and modernizing the Clerk/Register’s office. She plans to accomplish these goals by implementing Proposition 3 and working to establish satellite offices in densely populated areas “where we see voter suppression giving new registrants another place to register-in person and make voting more convenient.” In addition to the tough questions, Meredith also shared with us her favorite food which is Ritter’s ice cream and her go-to campaign song, “Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty. Meet Meredith Place.

NAME
Meredith Place

AFFILIATION
Democrat

POSITION SEEKING
Kalamazoo County Clerk & Register of Deeds

DISTRICT POSITION REPRESENTS
Kalamazoo County

EMAIL
vote4meredith@gmail.com

WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR RUNNING FOR OFFICE?
I was born and raised in a small town in Eastern Iowa. Growing up, I learned that hard work and determination were recipes for success and caring for your neighbors was a moral responsibility. I was raised by a public school teacher and disabled Vietnam veteran who through their experiences, taught me that politics is personal.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES WITHIN THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS ELECTED OFFICE?

• Improve access to and participation in our democracy.
• Expand voter outreach and engagement.
• Modernize the Clerk/Register’s office.

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS WITHIN THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESTRICTIONS OF THE OFFICE?

As Clerk & Register of Deeds, I will implement Proposition 3 and work to establish satellite offices in densely populated areas where we see voter suppression giving new registrants another place to register in person and make voting more convenient. I will work with already established groups, neighborhood associations, and local clerks to coordinate voter education efforts and innovative ways to make voting easier. I will prioritize the security and integrity of our elections while utilizing technology to improve other services.

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY IF ELECTED?

The Clerk & Register of Deeds office is integral to the functionality of our county and our local economy. As Clerk & Register of Deeds, I’ll partner with citizens and outside agencies to improve processes and make information more readily available to the public. I will prioritize modernizing and upgrading our real estate record-keeping and search technology to include a mobile experience for those using tablets and smartphones, enabling anyone at a real estate closing to quickly confirm whether additional relevant documents have been recorded. This work will help our realtors and local banks to be more efficient.

FAVORITE CAMPAIGN SONGS

“Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty.

FAVORITE MOVIE

A Christmas classic: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

FAVORITE BOOK

I love a good novel, anything by Liane Moriarty.

FAVORITE FOOD

Ritter’s Ice Cream!

The Primary will be held on August 4. The general Election will be held on November 3. Meredith Place is seeking this seat as a Democrat.