GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -As election day quickly approaches, West Michigan clerks are asking that all mail-in ballot voters return their ballots by Monday, November 2 at 4 p.m.
"If people want their ballot to count they should not rely on the mail service any longer. If they want their vote to count the best and most reliable way is to deliver to the clerks office in person, says Port Sheldon Township Clerk Teresa DeGraaf.
Teresa also reminds mail-in ballot holders that member of a household is authorized by law to hand deliver ballots in person to the clerk's office. But only for people within their household, and not for anyone living outside of the same household. If the clerk's office is closed, voters can securely leave their ballot in the ballot drop box at the clerk's office.
"A household member can deliver them for the entire household upon request. So a daughter can deliver a mom and dad's ballot if they are all members of the same household."
Teresa says for first time voters, there is still time to register to vote by going in-person to do so at a clerk's office. There, a newly registered voter can also cast their ballot in-person, including in-person on election day.
"Someone that wants to register to vote can go to their local clerk's office where they now reside, they can register to vote, they don't have to go to the polling place, they can literally vote an absentee voter ballot on election day in the clerk's office. But that is for a newly registered voter," she says.
For all other voters, the last day to vote in-person at the clerk's office is on Monday, November 2 by 4 p.m. If a voter has an absentee ballot on election day that has not been returned, the voter should bring the absentee ballot to their appropriate polling place and vote in person on election day, the traditional way.
Teresa along with other West Michigan clerks are asking mail-in ballot holders to return all mail-in ballots by Monday, November 2, at 4 p.m.
"If people have their absentee voter ballots, they should be returning them before election day, there is not reason to hold them until election day. There are extra processes we need to go through on election day. So the 4pm deadline is really nice to have those ballots back."
13 ON YOUR SIDE confirmed with Amy Puhalski, union president of the American Postal Workers Union in West Michigan that ballots found in the mail will be sorted by postal workers, and postal drivers will transport to the ballots to the appropriate clerk's office so they can be counted on election day.
To track a ballot or to find clerk office location and ballot drop box locations, click here.
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