Whitmer signs bill buying clerks more time to process absentee ballots before election

Dave Boucher
Detroit Free Press

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill Tuesday that will give clerks a little extra time to process, but not count, absentee ballots ahead of Election Day. 

The new law comes less than 30 days before an election where the presidency is on the line and after millions of Michigan voters have already received their absentee ballots. 

"In a democracy, everyone eligible, and every vote that is eligibly cast needs to be counted. And the will of the people must prevail," Whitmer said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon. 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer holds up a mask with the "vote" on the front as she gives an update on COVID-19 during a press conference on Tuesday, July 28, 2020.

More than 2.7 million Michigan voters have already requested absentee ballots and more than 2.6 million ballots have been delivered, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said during the same news conference.

Voters have returned 380,000 ballots so far, Benson said. The huge participation reflects the reality of changing elections, not only this year but moving into the future, she said. 

"This is not going to be unique to 2020. We are indeed in a new normal, for our elections and for our democracy," Benson said. 

"That's why it's so important, as I and clerks have been asking our legislature to do since I took office — update our laws to reflect this new normal." 

In 2018, Michigan voters approved a change to the state constitution that allows voters to request absentee ballots without citing a reason. The change, in addition to the fear of catching the coronavirus at a packed polling place, are fueling the surge in absentee voting participation. 

Clerks are generally appreciative of the bill, said Benson and Mary Clark, the clerk for Delta Township. But both noted an extra 10 hours to process ballots ahead of Election Day does not mean clerks will have election results immediately after the polls close. 

"There are a lot of factors that come into play to understand that it isn't a magic button that gets pushed at 8 p.m.," Clark said, referencing the time polls close on Nov. 3. 

More:Michigan lawmakers give time on absentee ballots, require video monitoring of drop boxes

More:Michigan Court of Appeals rules Benson acted legally mailing out absentee ballot applications

Under Senate Bill 757, clerks in municipalities with more than 25,000 people will be allowed to process absentee ballots from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 2. That involves opening outer envelopes, checking ballots are signed and sorting ballots ahead of Election Day. 

They're relatively simple administrative tasks, but before this law change clerks could not do any processing of absentee ballots until the morning of Election Day. The extra time the day before the election cuts down on duties on Nov. 3, crucial in tabulating final results for an election where a record number of absentee ballots are expected to be cast. 

There are about 72 municipalities that would be eligible to process ballots early. Benson spokesman Jake Rollow said earlier in the day he's not sure how many will participate, but the law requires the cities let the state know by Oct. 14 if they plan to process ballots early. 

More:Michigan voter who wants to cast an early ballot? You can start now

In addition to extra processing time, the bill allows for extra work shifts to count absentee ballots and requires clerks to follow up with voters if a signature is not included on a ballot or that signature does not match what's on file with the state. Benson thanked lawmakers for including this change. 

"This is critical to ensuring our security protocol, with our ballots, ensuring every valid vote is counted," Benson said. 

It also requires clerks to have video monitoring for absentee ballot drop boxes located outside and purchased by jurisdictions after Oct. 1. There are more than 1,000 drop boxes around the state — essentially mail boxes where voters may return absentee ballots. A Benson spokesman said most clerks are already monitoring their drop boxes.

Although the election is Nov. 3, voters may request and cast absentee ballots now. 

Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.