- Michigan « Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
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Michigan Secretary of State
Jocelyn Benson
September 9, 2020
Postcards informing voters how to apply to vote from home are going to all 4.4 million registered active voters who are not on a permanent absent voter application list and have not yet requested an absentee ballot for the November election.
Letters will also be mailed to approximately 700,000 citizens who have a Michigan driver’s license or state ID and are eligible but are not registered to vote in Michigan. These mailers will invite recipients to register to vote by going online or by returning the enclosed card to the Secretary of State. Approximately 130,000 individuals on the mailing list who are marked on the driver file as U.S. citizens and visited the Secretary of State between December 2018 and September 2019 - after Proposal 2018-3 was passed but before automatic voter registration was implemented - will get the opportunity to be automatically registered to vote. These individuals will be registered to vote unless they opt out of registration on the form similar to how automatic voter registration currently works on driver’s license renewal forms.
“Efforts to confuse and misinform Michigan voters are escalating in volume and frequency as we head into the fall,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “As a result, it is more important than ever that voters receive official, trusted, reliable information from our office to ensure they know their rights and how to exercise them. That’s why as the level of disinformation increases, so will our efforts to protect our voters and the integrity of Michigan’s elections.”
The postcard to eligible but unregistered voters is being sent in coordination with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which is used by states across the country to ensure the accuracy of their voter registration lists.
“Secretary Benson is following best practices utilized in both red and blue states by contacting eligible but unregistered voters,” said David Becker, who led the creation of ERIC while working at the Pew Charitable Trusts and is now the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research. “Similar mailings are going out this month in Texas, Florida and Georgia, all led by Republican secretaries, and in Arizona and Pennsylvania, led by Democratic secretaries.”
Voter registrations and absentee ballot requests can be submitted now online at Michigan.gov/vote.
Tracy Wimmer
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
August 14, 2020
The majority of disenfranchised voters in last week’s statewide primary could easily have had their votes counted with small changes in law, preliminary data on rejected ballot numbers show. Of the approximately 10,600 rejected ballots, more than 8,600 (over 80 percent) were due to signature verification issues or late arrival – issues that could be fixed by bills already introduced in the state legislature.
“The data demonstrates that thousands of people who cast otherwise valid votes were not able to participate in last week’s election solely because the Legislature failed to act ahead of the primary,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “With turnout and absentee ballot numbers expected to double or even triple in November, we could be looking at tens of thousands of Michigan citizens disenfranchised if the legislature again fails to act.”
Benson has been vocal in her calls on the Michigan Legislature to take up a series of election reform bills that would provide additional support to clerks and voters ahead of the November election. These include:
*Refers to voters who died after casting their absentee ballot but before Election Day.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
August 13, 2020
“Last week’s primary election was a success in large part because a record-number of voters cast their ballots from home, helping all voters and election workers stay safe during the pandemic,” said Benson. “To ensure similar success and safety in November, when turnout is expected to double or even triple, voters must know they have the right to vote from home and how to do so.”
The state will mail the postcards between August 20 and September 20. Michigan law allows voters to apply for their absentee ballot within 75 days of the election starting August 20. Clerks must begin mailing requested ballots to voters 40 days before the election on September 24. The mailing will be paid for with federal funding, and will cost approximately $1.4 million, or 32 cents per voter.
Benson also announced that the Bureau of Elections will allocate an additional $5.5 million to support voters and clerks in expectation that the number of people voting from home will again increase significantly. This additional funding will be allocated as follows:
Benson has previously called on lawmakers to immediately pass at least three pending bills:
Eligible Michiganders can register to vote now at Michigan.gov/Vote.
Benson implementing voter-approved elections improvements during pandemic
Election NewsJULY 29, 2020
Calls on Legislature to support clerks and voters
Michigan’s elections system is safe, secure, and prepared to handle the challenges of the COVID-19 era, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson confirmed at a press conference today. Ahead of the statewide primary next week, Benson discussed the work that has been done to strengthen election security and fully implement the election reforms voters overwhelmingly approved in 2018.
“For the past 19 months my administration has worked in partnership with local clerks and national experts to strengthen and modernize our elections system to meet the mandate of the voters,” said Secretary Benson. “That work has continued even in the midst of a pandemic, and our collective efforts have made it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Michigan.”
Improvements and actions carried out by Benson’s administration include:
Benson said more progress must be made ahead of the November general election, and called on state lawmakers to do their jobs and pass laws allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted, requiring clerks to contact voters if their mailed in ballot envelope signature does not match their signature on file, and enabling clerks to begin processing ballots cast through the mail prior to Election Day.
“While we have diligently carried out the will of the voters and alongside our clerks have met every challenge thrown our way, the state legislature has passed only one piece of election-related legislation in the last 19 months,” Benson said. “With time running out, I remain hopeful legislative leaders will partner with us to support election workers and voters.”
For media questions, contact
Tracy Wimmer
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
June 12, 2020
The Michigan Department of State’s Bureau of Elections has launched an online platform to provide voters with another method of digitally submitting their absent voter ballot application at Michigan.gov/Vote.
“The more choices a person has when it comes to exercising their right to vote, the better they are able to make the choice that works best for them” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “This tool provides another digital option for voters to safely and conveniently apply to receive their absentee ballot, while also offering clerks an easy, cost efficient way of processing the application securely.”
Voters can already submit applications digitally by scanning and emailing their signed applications to clerks. In order to utilize the new tool to request the absentee ballot online, voters must have a Michigan driver’s license or state ID, and submit the same information required to register to vote digitally, including their driver’s license number and the last four digits of their Social Security number.
When they complete their application, voters can then use the tool to send the handwritten signature they provided for their driver’s license or state ID card, and the completed application, to their local clerk through the state’s Qualified Voter File software. Clerks will be alerted of the request and be able to see the application and signature. After verification, local clerks are then able to mail the ballot to the voter within the appropriate timeframe for the election they’ve requested to vote absentee. Voters will continue to cast ballots the same way. They must still mail back paper ballots to the clerk’s office, deposit them in a drop box or cast a ballot in person with the clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. Voters must sign the ballot return envelope and the signature must be verified and matched to the voter’s record for the ballot to be counted.
To fill out an online application, registered voters can visit Michigan.gov/Vote and click “Apply for an Absent Voter Ballot Online.”
For media questions, contact
Tracy Wimmer
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
May 19, 2020
September 9, 2020
Michigan Department of State mailings will inform and assist potential voters
Millions of Michiganders eligible to vote should expect to receive something in the mail from the Michigan Department of State in the next week or so, as Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson continues to work to inform voters ahead of the November 3 general election.Postcards informing voters how to apply to vote from home are going to all 4.4 million registered active voters who are not on a permanent absent voter application list and have not yet requested an absentee ballot for the November election.
Letters will also be mailed to approximately 700,000 citizens who have a Michigan driver’s license or state ID and are eligible but are not registered to vote in Michigan. These mailers will invite recipients to register to vote by going online or by returning the enclosed card to the Secretary of State. Approximately 130,000 individuals on the mailing list who are marked on the driver file as U.S. citizens and visited the Secretary of State between December 2018 and September 2019 - after Proposal 2018-3 was passed but before automatic voter registration was implemented - will get the opportunity to be automatically registered to vote. These individuals will be registered to vote unless they opt out of registration on the form similar to how automatic voter registration currently works on driver’s license renewal forms.
“Efforts to confuse and misinform Michigan voters are escalating in volume and frequency as we head into the fall,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “As a result, it is more important than ever that voters receive official, trusted, reliable information from our office to ensure they know their rights and how to exercise them. That’s why as the level of disinformation increases, so will our efforts to protect our voters and the integrity of Michigan’s elections.”
The postcard to eligible but unregistered voters is being sent in coordination with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which is used by states across the country to ensure the accuracy of their voter registration lists.
“Secretary Benson is following best practices utilized in both red and blue states by contacting eligible but unregistered voters,” said David Becker, who led the creation of ERIC while working at the Pew Charitable Trusts and is now the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research. “Similar mailings are going out this month in Texas, Florida and Georgia, all led by Republican secretaries, and in Arizona and Pennsylvania, led by Democratic secretaries.”
Voter registrations and absentee ballot requests can be submitted now online at Michigan.gov/vote.
# # #
For media questions, contactTracy Wimmer
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
August 14, 2020
Rejected absentee ballot numbers highlight need for legislative changes
Majority of rejections could be
easily fixed with changes to law
The majority of disenfranchised voters in last week’s statewide primary could easily have had their votes counted with small changes in law, preliminary data on rejected ballot numbers show. Of the approximately 10,600 rejected ballots, more than 8,600 (over 80 percent) were due to signature verification issues or late arrival – issues that could be fixed by bills already introduced in the state legislature.
“The data demonstrates that thousands of people who cast otherwise valid votes were not able to participate in last week’s election solely because the Legislature failed to act ahead of the primary,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “With turnout and absentee ballot numbers expected to double or even triple in November, we could be looking at tens of thousands of Michigan citizens disenfranchised if the legislature again fails to act.”
Benson has been vocal in her calls on the Michigan Legislature to take up a series of election reform bills that would provide additional support to clerks and voters ahead of the November election. These include:
- HB 5987 would allow mailed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day even if they arrive up to two days later.
- HB 5991 would require clerks to contact voters if the signature on the absentee ballot does not match the one on their registration.
| Ballot Late | No Signature | Voter Moved |
Voter Deceased | Sig. Did Not Match |
| 6,405 |
1,438 |
1,111 |
846* |
787 |
| Voter Cancelled | Envelope, No Ballot | ID Not Confirmed | Incarcerated | Total |
| 51 |
31 |
24 |
1 |
10,694 |
*Refers to voters who died after casting their absentee ballot but before Election Day.
# # #
For media questions, contact
Tracy Wimmer
Tracy Wimmer
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
August 13, 2020
Benson to mail postcards encouraging voters to apply online to vote from home
Additional
funding allocated to support clerks, voters for
November election
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today that
she will mail postcards informing voters of their right
to vote from home in the November presidential election
and encouraging them to do so by applying online or at
their local election clerk’s office. The postcards will
be mailed from the Michigan Bureau of Elections to the
4.4 million active, registered voters who are not on a
permanent absent-voter list and have not already applied
to have their November ballot mailed to them.“Last week’s primary election was a success in large part because a record-number of voters cast their ballots from home, helping all voters and election workers stay safe during the pandemic,” said Benson. “To ensure similar success and safety in November, when turnout is expected to double or even triple, voters must know they have the right to vote from home and how to do so.”
The state will mail the postcards between August 20 and September 20. Michigan law allows voters to apply for their absentee ballot within 75 days of the election starting August 20. Clerks must begin mailing requested ballots to voters 40 days before the election on September 24. The mailing will be paid for with federal funding, and will cost approximately $1.4 million, or 32 cents per voter.
Benson also announced that the Bureau of Elections will allocate an additional $5.5 million to support voters and clerks in expectation that the number of people voting from home will again increase significantly. This additional funding will be allocated as follows:
- $2 million to reimburse jurisdictions that pay postage on ballot return envelopes.
- $1.5 million to jurisdictions that order ballot envelopes redesigned to the standards of the United States Postal Service to be most effectively and efficiently processed through the mail.
- $1 million more for jurisdictions to buy ballot drop boxes, automatic letter openers, and other equipment.
- $1 million more in matching funds for jurisdictions to buy ballot tabulators (counting machines), including high-speed scanners.
Benson has previously called on lawmakers to immediately pass at least three pending bills:
- SB 757 would allow clerks to begin processing absentee ballots before Election Day.
- HB 5987 would allow mailed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day even if they arrive up to two days later.
- HB 5991 would require clerks to contact voters if the signature on the absentee ballot does not match the one on their registration.
Eligible Michiganders can register to vote now at Michigan.gov/Vote.
# # #
# # #
For media questions, contact
Tracy Wimmer
Tracy Wimmer
Michigan
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
August 6, 2020
August 6, 2020
Safe, accessible, secure primary proves successful elections possible during pandemic
Legislature must act now to ensure success in NovemberMichigan saw record-breaking turnout
in Tuesday’s primary election while still operating
polling places across the state that remained clean,
calm and safe throughout the day.
In all, more than 2.5 million voters cast ballots in the primary, breaking the previous record for an August primary set in 2018 when 2.2 million people voted. Yet, because a record breaking 1.6 million ballots were absentee – more ballots were cast by mail, at a drop box, or at a clerk’s office than in any election in Michigan history – polling places across the state ran smoothly on Tuesday, with few if any lines, and distancing protocols that prevented crowding.
“The success of the primary proved once again that Michigan can hold safe, accessible, secure and on-schedule elections during the pandemic, and this will serve as our blueprint for the presidential election,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “To ensure similar success and safety in November, when turnout will double if not triple, I am calling on the state legislature to act now and support all clerks, election workers and voters.”
Two Michigan laws — one preventing the processing of absentee ballots before polls open and the other requiring ballots to arrive at clerk offices or drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day — could cause significant delays in November and disenfranchise thousands of voters. Benson and clerks across the state have repeatedly pressed the lawmakers to make fixes, but despite bills being introduced to tackle both problems, and bipartisan support for the bill that would allow absentee ballot processing prior to election day, neither bill has received a vote.
“I want to thank Secretary Benson and our local clerks for the hard work they did to ensure Michiganders could participate in this election safely,” said Governor Whitmer. “This record-breaking election proves once again that Michigan and states across the country can ensure voters’ ability to participate in a way that protects themselves, their families, and the brave men and women on the front lines of this crisis. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Secretary Benson as we look toward the election in November.”
The primary demonstrated clearly that these laws must be changed. Many of the boards counting absentee ballots did not finish until early Wednesday morning, and results were not in from all counties until Wednesday evening, more than 24 hours after polls closed. Additionally, as of Wednesday, more than 10,000 absentee ballots had been rejected, a number that is expected to climb on Thursday and in following days. It had not yet been determined how many of those rejections were due to late arrival, but this was the cause of more than half the rejections in the March primary.
Turnout is expected to increase dramatically in November, and already 2.4 million Michiganders are on a permanent absent-voter list or have requested to have their November ballot sent to them by mail. Unless lawmakers act now, the result could be the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of Michigan voters, and the nation waiting days for Michigan results in order to determine the outcome of the presidential election.
“Democracy is a team sport, and I am hopeful state lawmakers will soon step up and do their part,” said Secretary Benson. “In the meanwhile, I congratulate and commend the state and local election officials who worked tirelessly ahead of the primary election, and I know will continue to do so in the months ahead.”
Data available from the August 4 Primary Election
Total turnout
2,515,882
Total absentee votes cast
1,637,392
Total absentee votes requested
2,065,425
Election Day registrations
3,641
In all, more than 2.5 million voters cast ballots in the primary, breaking the previous record for an August primary set in 2018 when 2.2 million people voted. Yet, because a record breaking 1.6 million ballots were absentee – more ballots were cast by mail, at a drop box, or at a clerk’s office than in any election in Michigan history – polling places across the state ran smoothly on Tuesday, with few if any lines, and distancing protocols that prevented crowding.
“The success of the primary proved once again that Michigan can hold safe, accessible, secure and on-schedule elections during the pandemic, and this will serve as our blueprint for the presidential election,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “To ensure similar success and safety in November, when turnout will double if not triple, I am calling on the state legislature to act now and support all clerks, election workers and voters.”
Two Michigan laws — one preventing the processing of absentee ballots before polls open and the other requiring ballots to arrive at clerk offices or drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day — could cause significant delays in November and disenfranchise thousands of voters. Benson and clerks across the state have repeatedly pressed the lawmakers to make fixes, but despite bills being introduced to tackle both problems, and bipartisan support for the bill that would allow absentee ballot processing prior to election day, neither bill has received a vote.
“I want to thank Secretary Benson and our local clerks for the hard work they did to ensure Michiganders could participate in this election safely,” said Governor Whitmer. “This record-breaking election proves once again that Michigan and states across the country can ensure voters’ ability to participate in a way that protects themselves, their families, and the brave men and women on the front lines of this crisis. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Secretary Benson as we look toward the election in November.”
The primary demonstrated clearly that these laws must be changed. Many of the boards counting absentee ballots did not finish until early Wednesday morning, and results were not in from all counties until Wednesday evening, more than 24 hours after polls closed. Additionally, as of Wednesday, more than 10,000 absentee ballots had been rejected, a number that is expected to climb on Thursday and in following days. It had not yet been determined how many of those rejections were due to late arrival, but this was the cause of more than half the rejections in the March primary.
Turnout is expected to increase dramatically in November, and already 2.4 million Michiganders are on a permanent absent-voter list or have requested to have their November ballot sent to them by mail. Unless lawmakers act now, the result could be the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of Michigan voters, and the nation waiting days for Michigan results in order to determine the outcome of the presidential election.
“Democracy is a team sport, and I am hopeful state lawmakers will soon step up and do their part,” said Secretary Benson. “In the meanwhile, I congratulate and commend the state and local election officials who worked tirelessly ahead of the primary election, and I know will continue to do so in the months ahead.”
Data available from the August 4 Primary Election
Total turnout
2,515,882
Total absentee votes cast
1,637,392
Total absentee votes requested
2,065,425
Election Day registrations
3,641
# # #
For media questions, contact
Tracy Wimmer
Tracy Wimmer
Benson implementing voter-approved elections improvements during pandemic
Election NewsJULY 29, 2020
Calls on Legislature to support clerks and voters
Michigan’s elections system is safe, secure, and prepared to handle the challenges of the COVID-19 era, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson confirmed at a press conference today. Ahead of the statewide primary next week, Benson discussed the work that has been done to strengthen election security and fully implement the election reforms voters overwhelmingly approved in 2018.
“For the past 19 months my administration has worked in partnership with local clerks and national experts to strengthen and modernize our elections system to meet the mandate of the voters,” said Secretary Benson. “That work has continued even in the midst of a pandemic, and our collective efforts have made it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Michigan.”
Improvements and actions carried out by Benson’s administration include:
- Implementing automatic voter registration and online voter registration
- Ensuring all voters were informed of their new right to vote from home and provided an absent voter application
- Launching an online absent voter ballot application
- Expanding options for voters with disabilities to cast absent-voter ballots at home and in clerk offices
- Joining the Electronic Registration Information Center to improve the integrity of the state voter registration list
- Hiring the state’s first election security expert
- Ensuring safe in-person voting by providing all election jurisdictions with personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and protocols for hygiene and social distancing
- Redesigning ballot envelopes to USPS specifications and providing ballot drop boxes, and additional supplies to election jurisdictions
- Recruiting more than 5,000 election workers through the Democracy MVP campaign
Benson said more progress must be made ahead of the November general election, and called on state lawmakers to do their jobs and pass laws allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted, requiring clerks to contact voters if their mailed in ballot envelope signature does not match their signature on file, and enabling clerks to begin processing ballots cast through the mail prior to Election Day.
“While we have diligently carried out the will of the voters and alongside our clerks have met every challenge thrown our way, the state legislature has passed only one piece of election-related legislation in the last 19 months,” Benson said. “With time running out, I remain hopeful legislative leaders will partner with us to support election workers and voters.”
# # #
For media questions, contact
Tracy Wimmer
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
June 12, 2020
Michigan Department of State launches online absentee voter application
Platform provides additional
digital option to apply for your absentee ballot
The Michigan Department of State’s Bureau of Elections has launched an online platform to provide voters with another method of digitally submitting their absent voter ballot application at Michigan.gov/Vote.
“The more choices a person has when it comes to exercising their right to vote, the better they are able to make the choice that works best for them” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “This tool provides another digital option for voters to safely and conveniently apply to receive their absentee ballot, while also offering clerks an easy, cost efficient way of processing the application securely.”
Voters can already submit applications digitally by scanning and emailing their signed applications to clerks. In order to utilize the new tool to request the absentee ballot online, voters must have a Michigan driver’s license or state ID, and submit the same information required to register to vote digitally, including their driver’s license number and the last four digits of their Social Security number.
When they complete their application, voters can then use the tool to send the handwritten signature they provided for their driver’s license or state ID card, and the completed application, to their local clerk through the state’s Qualified Voter File software. Clerks will be alerted of the request and be able to see the application and signature. After verification, local clerks are then able to mail the ballot to the voter within the appropriate timeframe for the election they’ve requested to vote absentee. Voters will continue to cast ballots the same way. They must still mail back paper ballots to the clerk’s office, deposit them in a drop box or cast a ballot in person with the clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. Voters must sign the ballot return envelope and the signature must be verified and matched to the voter’s record for the ballot to be counted.
To fill out an online application, registered voters can visit Michigan.gov/Vote and click “Apply for an Absent Voter Ballot Online.”
# # #
For media questions, contact
Tracy Wimmer
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
May 19, 2020
Benson: All voters receiving applications to vote by mail
Ensures all
Michiganders can vote safely
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today
that all registered voters in Michigan will receive an
application to vote by mail in the August and November
elections.
“By mailing applications, we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote,” said Benson. “Voting by mail is easy, convenient, safe, and secure, and every voter in Michigan has the right to do it.”
Of the 7.7 million registered voters in the state, about 1.3 million are on the permanent absent voter list, and their local election clerk mails them applications ahead of every election. Additionally, some jurisdictions are mailing applications to all local registered voters. The Michigan Department of State’s Bureau of Elections has ensured all remaining registered voters receive an application.
“We appreciate that some clerks are proactively protecting public health by mailing applications to all their registered voters, and we are fulfilling our responsibility to provide all voters equal access,” said Benson. “We know from the elections that took place this month that during the pandemic Michiganders want to safely vote.”
Record-breaking turnout was recorded in the approximately 50 elections held across 33 counties on May 5, with nearly 25 percent of eligible voters casting ballots and 99 percent of them doing so by mail or in a drop box. From 2010 to 2019, average turnout in local elections in May was 12 percent.
The application mailing from the Bureau of Elections includes a cover letter with instructions from Secretary Benson. Once a voter signs their application, they can mail it or email a photo of it to their local clerk, whose contact information is included on the application. The application is also available for download at Michigan.gov/Vote. At the same website, voters can also register and join the permanent absent voter list so they always have the option to vote by mail.
“The vast majority of voters across the political spectrum want the option to vote by mail,” said Benson. “Mailing applications to all registered voters is one of the ways that we are ensuring Michigan’s elections will continue to be safe, accurate and secure.”
Tracy Wimmer
May 20 - As Michigan faced a state of emergency due to flooding, President Trump threatened to hold up funding, tweeting erroneously, "Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people..." He subsequently deleted the tweet and sent off a new tweet replacing "absentee ballots" with "absentee ballot applications."
Statement from Jake Rollow, spokesman for the Michigan Department of State, on President Trump's inaccurate tweet
# # #
Statement from Michigan Department of State Spokesman Jake Rollow on President Trump's revised tweet
# # #
“By mailing applications, we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote,” said Benson. “Voting by mail is easy, convenient, safe, and secure, and every voter in Michigan has the right to do it.”
Of the 7.7 million registered voters in the state, about 1.3 million are on the permanent absent voter list, and their local election clerk mails them applications ahead of every election. Additionally, some jurisdictions are mailing applications to all local registered voters. The Michigan Department of State’s Bureau of Elections has ensured all remaining registered voters receive an application.
“We appreciate that some clerks are proactively protecting public health by mailing applications to all their registered voters, and we are fulfilling our responsibility to provide all voters equal access,” said Benson. “We know from the elections that took place this month that during the pandemic Michiganders want to safely vote.”
Record-breaking turnout was recorded in the approximately 50 elections held across 33 counties on May 5, with nearly 25 percent of eligible voters casting ballots and 99 percent of them doing so by mail or in a drop box. From 2010 to 2019, average turnout in local elections in May was 12 percent.
The application mailing from the Bureau of Elections includes a cover letter with instructions from Secretary Benson. Once a voter signs their application, they can mail it or email a photo of it to their local clerk, whose contact information is included on the application. The application is also available for download at Michigan.gov/Vote. At the same website, voters can also register and join the permanent absent voter list so they always have the option to vote by mail.
“The vast majority of voters across the political spectrum want the option to vote by mail,” said Benson. “Mailing applications to all registered voters is one of the ways that we are ensuring Michigan’s elections will continue to be safe, accurate and secure.”
# # #
For media questions, contactTracy Wimmer
May 20 - As Michigan faced a state of emergency due to flooding, President Trump threatened to hold up funding, tweeting erroneously, "Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people..." He subsequently deleted the tweet and sent off a new tweet replacing "absentee ballots" with "absentee ballot applications."
May 20, 2020
Statement from Jake Rollow, spokesman for the Michigan Department of State, on President Trump's inaccurate tweet
"President Donald Trump's statement
is false. The Bureau of Elections is mailing absent
voter applications, not ballots. Applications are
mailed nearly every election cycle by both major
parties and countless advocacy and nonpartisan
organizations. Just like them, we have full
authority to mail applications to ensure voters know
they have the right to vote safely by mail."
# # #
Statement from Michigan Department of State Spokesman Jake Rollow on President Trump's revised tweet
"President Donald Trump's updated
statement is also false. Absent voter applications
are mailed nearly every election cycle by both major
parties and countless advocacy and nonpartisan
organizations. Just like them, we have full
authority to mail applications to ensure voters know
they have the right to vote safely by mail. The
application is also available online at
Michigan.gov/Vote."
# # #
Copyright © 2020 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in
Action. All rights reserved.