Clerks in communities with at least 25,000 residents are a step closer to being able to process absentee ballots before Election Day.
The Michigan Senate voted 34-2 on Tuesday to approve a bill that would allow election officials to start processing absentee ballots on Nov. 2, one day early, with a sunset clause that make it a one-time accomodation.
The bill, SB757 sponsored by Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, is meant to give clerks more time to process an expected influx of absentee ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 2.1 million absentee ballots have already been requested for November’s general election, according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
The bill requires a report to determine how many municipalities participate in pre-processing absentee ballots. The Michigan House of Representatives will now have to vote on the bill.
Amber McCann, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said Republican leaders are hopeful the bill will assist clerks in November.
“Senator Shirky hopes this will be a helpful change to assist local clerks in processing ballots while still protecting the integrity of the election,” McCann said.
Clerks will only allowed to prepare ballots to be counted before Election Day, not to count them.
Related: Michigan clerks to state lawmakers: ‘We need more time’ to count November ballots
Seventeen clerks across the state signed a letter urging the Michigan Senate to pass a bill that would allow clerks a week before the election to process absentee ballots.
“While even one day of pre-processing before Election Day would provide some help, many clerks are busy preparing for the logistics of the next day’s in-person voting,” the clerks’ letter states. “We believe that allowing clerks to have seven days of pre-processing before Election Day is the wisest policy and would give overwhelmed jurisdictions the ability to conduct the election in the (safest) and secure manner possible. Fortunately, bipartisan legislation to give clerks more time stands ready for you to move in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.”
The clerks are asking for a week to complete “time-intensive steps” like opening envelopes and sorting and flattening ballots.
“The reforms we request would not even permit a vote count to be created before Election Day, much less for them to be shared surreptitiously. Legislative reform allowing clerks to take the time they need is an essential pre-condition for the November election to be as safe, secure, and reliable as all of us want," clerks in the letter stated.
Related: 2.1 million voters have requested absentee ballots, says Michigan Secretary of State
Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck, who signed the letter, said the Senate passage of SB 757 is a great start and will give election administrators an opportunity to see whether more time is needed.
“It’s about the accuracy in counting the ballots and taking additional time will reduce the element of human error that’s a factor for any election when staff is working late hours,” Roebuck said. “Another issue is timeliness and the trust factor that’s associated with timely results. The longer results take to produce, the more distrust people have toward the system.”
More than 1.6 million absentee ballots were received and counted by clerks in Michigan’s August primary election. Some communities, like Livonia, saw four times more absentee ballots cast in the primary election than in the 2016 general election.
“Some of our jurisdictions were not able to finish counting absent voter ballots and submit results until 1 a.m., 2 a.m., or even 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning,” clerks in the letter state. “Mandating this state of affairs through statutory restrictions is not just cruel to the workers who dedicate their time to our most sacred democratic process—it is a threat to the public’s faith in the security and accuracy of our elections.”
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September 16, 2020 at 01:10AM
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Michigan Senate passes bill to allow absentee ballot processing to begin one day early - MLive.com
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