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After brief return, East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks says she's retiring for good this time

Marie Wicks stands before an East Lansing podium at the city's early voting center
Arjun Thakkar
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WKAR-MSU
Marie Wicks speaks at the opening of East Lansing's early voting center.

After returning to the job early last year, East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks is officially retiring – again. Friday is her last day.

She returned to the role after serving for seven years before first retiring in 2018.

She said she didn’t intend to stay on as clerk for long this time but felt a “moral obligation” to see out major elections, including the presidential race in November.

“I felt it was probably a little too late, maybe too difficult, to throw a new person into that [position],” she said.

Marie Wicks poses beside Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in a hallway inside WKAR studios.
Courtesy
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Marie Wicks
Marie Wicks (right) poses beside Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (left) inside WKAR's studios on MSU's campus. WKAR hosted an early voting site for the November presidential election.

Wicks said one of the accomplishments she’s most proud of during her tenure as city clerk was organizing the early voting site on MSU’s campus this fall. The center was located inside WKAR’s television studios and was made possible through a partnership with the station.

“I have said, jokingly, that any of the students who got to vote there for the first time, next time they go to vote in an old school, they're not going to be as bedazzled or dazzled by that experience,” she said.

She also reserved praise for her colleagues.

“We're a small team. I'm proud of the folks who work for the City of East Lansing, who came together to help in any number of ways, [and] the folks in the community.”

With election season wrapped up, Wicks said it felt like the right time to retire.

“I’ve fulfilled my obligation to the city and, selfishly, to myself,” she said. “It was a great opportunity to work at the Bureau of Elections. I learned a lot.”

Now that she’s permanently retired, she said she’s looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren. But she also plans to continue to do advocacy work around elections, she said, especially on dispelling myths about voter fraud.

“I will use my voice. I've gotten a little feisty now that I'm north of 60,” Wicks said. “I don't know exactly what direction that will take, but I'm just, I'm staying in this realm.”

She said she will also continue working with the city on a contingency basis, which includes helping East Lansing Chief Deputy Clerk Amy Gordon, who will serve as interim clerk.

“I'm just stepping away from this full-time role and certainly looking forward to seeing the next person come in and be creative and do their own thing. And I'm here. I will be here to support them 100% of the way,” Wicks said.

Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Melorie Begay is the local producer and host of Morning Edition.
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