LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson reassured residents Thursday of the state's security in the upcoming presidential primary and explained why election results will be reported later in the evening than in the past.
“Despite the attempts to meddle in our elections that have been reported at a national level, Michigan’s elections system is more secure than ever, and voters should have full faith that every vote will be counted and results will be reported accurately,” Benson said at a press conference in Lansing.
“My administration has done significant work to bolster our election security, and we will continue to do so through the November election and beyond.”
Benson hired the state’s first election security expert, joined ERIC, the national Electronic Registration Information Center, to ensure accuracy of voting rolls, and partnered with the Department of Homeland Security and other organizations and experts to review and test Michigan’s election system.
Benson also spoke to the new challenges election clerks and their teams will face during the first major election since voters amended the constitution in 2018 to allow absentee voting without needing a reason and registration through Election Day.
Compared to one week before the 2016 primary, there has been an 80% increase in applications for absentee ballots and more than 500,000 absentee ballots have already been cast. Benson said the changes have increased the workload for clerks on what is already a very busy day and will likely mean Tuesday’s results will be available later than they have been historically.
Following Super Tuesday on March 3, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Tom Steyer and Mike Bloomberg have all dropped out of the race. Benson said 15,902 absentee ballots have been spoiled since the beginning of the week.
According to the Secretary of State's website, if a voter wishes to change their vote they need to submit a written request to their local clerk's office by mail before the 2 p.m. Saturday, March 7 deadline. The voter must sign the request and state if they would like a new absentee ballot mailed to them or if they will vote at the polls.
An absentee ballot may be spoiled in person at the clerk’s office until 4 p.m. on Monday, March 9. The voter can obtain a new absentee ballot there or vote at the polls. There is no option on Election Day to spoil an absentee ballot that has been received by the clerk.
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