Election Results Will Take Longer With Michigan's Influx Of Mail-In Ballots

Michigan election officials are bracing for ballot-counting this election with the influx of mail-in ballots.

Millions of Michigan voters requested absentee ballots this year, as the presidential election falls within a global pandemic. The Detroit Metro Times noted that the state’s citizens opted to approve absentee ballots without reason two years ago.

"We've been working round-the-clock to process absentee applications and send out ballots," Hamtramck City Clerk August Gitschlag said during a Zoom meeting between local officials on Thursday (October 22). "But we don't have the infrastructure to keep up with the overwhelming demand. We will count every vote, but being right is more important than being fast. I want to urge everyone to please be patient."

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is urging voters to drop off absentee ballots in person rather than mailing them at this point.

Any ballots received after 8 p.m. on November 3 can’t be counted.

“Voters should not risk possible postal delays this close to the deadline,” Benson previously 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.”

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