Michigan voters: 1 million absentee ballots not yet returned as Election Day nears
DETROIT – With only 7 days left in this election, approximately 1 Michigan million voters who have requested absentee ballots have yet to successfully return them.
That doesn't mean these voters won't return them. There's still plenty of time to fill out and cast an absentee ballot.
But if you're someone with a completed absentee ballot in hand, the office of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is encouraging you to take that ballot directly to your clerk or put it in the appropriate drop box.
The office is recommending avoiding the mail — in Michigan, only those ballots received by 8 p.m. on Election Day will be counted.
"It's too close, and there's no reason to have that uncertainty over them," said Benson spokesman Jake Rollow.
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As of Tuesday, more than 3.1 million Michigan voters have requested absentee ballots. About 2.1 million have returned them, Rollow said.
This year, Benson expects possibly two-thirds of all votes to be cast using absentee ballots. With voter turnout expected to be above 5 million people, that means approximately 2 million people may head to the polls on Nov. 3.
“Citizens who already have an absentee ballot should sign the back of the envelope and hand-deliver it to their city or township clerk’s office or ballot drop box as soon as possible. Voters who haven’t yet received their ballot should go to their clerk’s office to request it in person. They can fill it out, sign the envelope and submit it all in one trip," Benson said in a news release.
Voters who requested an absentee ballot may still vote in person, as long as they follow the correct procedure, Rollow said. That requires notifying your clerk you do not intend to cast your absentee ballot, or bringing your non-completed ballot with you to your precinct and surrendering it on Election Day.
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There is still time to request an absentee ballot, but you'll need to act quickly.. You must apply for that absentee ballot in person.
If you choose to cast an absentee ballot, make sure you sign the outside of the envelope. If you have an absentee ballot and you are trying to return it on Election Day, do not take the ballot to your polling place. Take it directly to your local clerk.
Other tips for voters weighing their options:
If I've voted already, can I change my vote?
Yep! You'll need to spoil your ballot. The process involves going to your clerk's office and providing a written declaration that you want to essentially void the absentee ballot you already cast.
Once you've done this, you can request and cast a new absentee ballot, or vote in person on Election Day.
If you want to do this, get it done sooner rather than later. You can't spoil a ballot on Election Day if the clerk has already received it.
What if I still have my absentee ballot, I haven't filled it out, and I want to vote in person on Election Day?
You're still in luck. Rollow suggests bringing that ballot with you to the polls. You'll surrender that ballot at the precinct, then cast your ballot in person.
You can always take your incomplete (or completed!) ballot back to the clerk's office ahead of Nov. 3 as well.
I've requested an absentee ballot but it hasn't arrived yet. Now what?
It never hurts to call your clerk. If you just applied yesterday or the day before, Rollow says you can still wait a day or two. But if you applied last week or earlier and still do not have your ballot, call your clerk or go to the office.
Either way, whenever you get your ballot, take it back to your clerk's office in person! Avoid putting it in the mail.
I've mailed my absentee ballot. Has the clerk received it?
Check michigan.gov/vote or call your clerk.
If the website or clerk says your ballot is not yet received, be prepared to vote in person on Election Day.
Even if you sent in an absentee ballot, you can go to your precinct on Election Day. Your clerk will know you've already requested an absentee ballot. The precinct worker should either tell you the clerk has received your absentee ballot, or issue you a provisional ballot. Only one vote will count.
I want to vote in person on Election Day. What should I know?
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. If you are in line at a polling place before 8 p.m. but not at a voting booth by the time polls officially close, stay in line! You're allowed to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m.
Bring a form of photo identification. If you don't have one though, you're still allowed to vote. You'll just need to sign an affidavit affirming your identity.
Wear a mask. Although it's not required, health experts urge voters to wear a mask any time they enter an enclosed space where they will be around other people.
Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan voting: Million absentee ballots not yet returned in battleground
