Michigan secretary of state says all voters will get absentee ballot applications by mail
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) announced Tuesday that all of the state’s registered voters will receive applications for absentee ballots in the mail this year in an effort to avoid crowded polling places amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The move could work to expand voting in one of the most critical presidential swing states this November but may spark pushback from Republicans, many of whom have claimed without evidence that voting by mail is particularly susceptible to fraud.
Benson, a Democrat, said the decision to mail ballot applications to all of the state’s 7.7 million registered voters will make it easier for Michigan residents to later cast votes and protect themselves from the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 5,000 people in the state. About 1.3 million voters are already on permanent absentee voter list, meaning they are automatically mailed ballot applications before each election.
“By mailing applications, we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote,” Benson said in a statement. “Voting by mail is easy, convenient, safe, and secure, and every voter in Michigan has the right to do it.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/498636-michigan-secretary-of-state-says-all-voters-will-get-ballot-applications
= new reply since forum marked as read
