Benson Says Michigan Absentee Voters Should Deliver Ballots In Person

In the final weeks before Election Day, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is advising the millions of absentee voters in Michigan to drop off ballots in person rather than drop them in mailboxes.

Michigan residents can still register to vote through November 3, and can request absentee ballots through November 2, Local4 noted. Residents can find more information, including where their local clerk’s office is located, on the Department of State’s Voter Information Center.

Benson explained that the reason residents should hand-deliver absentee ballots is because any absentee ballots received after 8 p.m. on November 3 can’t be counted. Any United States Postal Service delays could prove problematic.

“Voters should not risk possible postal delays this close to the deadline,” Benson said in a statement. “Voters who already have their absentee ballot should hand-deliver it to their city or township election clerk’s office or ballot drop box. Voters who still plan to request an absentee ballot should visit their clerk’s office to make the request in person, and fill out and submit the ballot all in one trip.”

“We have worked to ensure every citizen has a right to vote absentee in Michigan and have implemented multiple levels of secure protocols and best practices that have been time-tested over decades in other states,” she continued. “That’s why we can say with confidence that only valid absentee ballots will be counted, and they will be tabulated by bipartisan pairs of election workers trained to ensure votes are tallied without political bias and in accordance with elections law.”

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