Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Michigan Legislature eases processing of absentee ballots
Source: Associated Press
Michigan Legislature eases processing of absentee ballots
By DAVID EGGERT
September 24, 2020
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan lawmakers voted Thursday to made it easier for clerks to process a surge in absentee ballots in the battleground state’s presidential election by letting them start a day earlier than normal.
Election officials currently cannot remove ballots from outer envelopes until 7 a.m. on Election Day, which this year is Nov. 3. Legislation sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her expected signature would allow them to be opened between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, in cities or townships with at least 25,000 residents. Ballots would have to remain in secrecy envelopes until being counted on Nov. 3.
The change is intended to help avoid delays in counting the vote due to so many more people voting absentee. The option was significantly expanded under a 2018 voter-approved constitutional amendment and has become especially popular during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Republican-led House passed the bill 94-11. The GOP-controlled Senate approved an earlier version last week and then shipped the final measure to the Democratic governor on a 35-2 vote.
A record 2.4 million people had requested absentee ballots as of Monday, which is quadruple the number of requests during the same period in 2016.
-snip-
By DAVID EGGERT
September 24, 2020
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan lawmakers voted Thursday to made it easier for clerks to process a surge in absentee ballots in the battleground state’s presidential election by letting them start a day earlier than normal.
Election officials currently cannot remove ballots from outer envelopes until 7 a.m. on Election Day, which this year is Nov. 3. Legislation sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her expected signature would allow them to be opened between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, in cities or townships with at least 25,000 residents. Ballots would have to remain in secrecy envelopes until being counted on Nov. 3.
The change is intended to help avoid delays in counting the vote due to so many more people voting absentee. The option was significantly expanded under a 2018 voter-approved constitutional amendment and has become especially popular during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Republican-led House passed the bill 94-11. The GOP-controlled Senate approved an earlier version last week and then shipped the final measure to the Democratic governor on a 35-2 vote.
A record 2.4 million people had requested absentee ballots as of Monday, which is quadruple the number of requests during the same period in 2016.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-legislature-michigan-legislation-elections-25ff8a56dc687cb0619fc48e84aee994
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
