2020 General Election
Turnout rate (VEP)
0
%
Votes cast from mailed-out ballots
0
%
2016 General Election
Turnout rate (VEP)
0
%
Votes cast from mailed out ballots
0
%
State election policies as of 2022...
Full Vote-at-Home
0/10
Full Vote-at-Home
Voter automatically mailed ballot for every election
No Excuse Required
6/6
No Excuse Required
No excuse to vote from home
Single Sign-Up
0/6
Single Sign-Up
Voter signs up once to receive mail ballot for all future elections
Local Vote-at-Home Option
0/5
Local VAH Option
Local governments have discretion to conduct full vote-at-home elections
Online Mail Ballot Sign-Up
2/2
Online Mail Ballot Sign-Up
Voter can apply for mail ballot online
Ballot Tracking
1/4
Ballot Tracking
Voter can receive ballot status notifications.
In-Person Ballot Return
4/5
In-Person Ballot Return
Voter has multiple options to return mail ballot in person
Signature Verification
4/5
Signature Verification
Voter signature verified before ballot is counted
Ballot Cure Process
2/4
Ballot Cure Process
Voter can correct issues so ballot can be counted
Prepaid Postage
0/4
Prepaid Postage
Postage-paid return envelopes provided
Election Day Postmark Acceptance
0/4
Election Day Postmark Acceptance
Ballots postmarked by Election Day are accepted
In-Person Voting
2/4
In-Person Return
Physical locations for voters to vote and receive assistance
Pre-Processing
0/3
Signature Verification
Ballots are verified and scanned before Election Day
Mail Ballot Applications
2/2
Mail Ballot Applications
Election officials can mail ballot applications to all voters eligible to vote from home
Ballot Return Assistance
1/2
Ballot Return Assistance
Voters may receive assistance to return their mail ballot
Last Updated
Opportunities
Michigan’s current permanent absentee option available in some localities is not what we would consider a true permanent absentee option, as voters are only sent applications, not ballots, for each election. This increases barriers to the ballot box and increases paperwork (and cost!) for both the voter and the localities. Switching to a true permanent option and making the list statewide would increase voter access and save the state significant expense by cutting down on the requests they need to process, with localities saving an average of $1 for every request they no longer need to process.
Michigan has already expanded drop boxes as a result of the pandemic, and should make these return options permanent fixtures for all future elections. Additionally, creating vote centers that any voter in the county can vote at and allowing voters to drop off their absentee ballots at polling places would further lessen the reliance on the postal service and increase voter convenience and confidence.
While Michigan has reimbursed counties that have decided to prepay postage for the 2020 elections, the state should make prepaid postage statewide and permanent for all future elections. Guaranteeing prepaid postage is a voter-centric reform that removes an economic barrier to the vote.
Accepting ballots with Election Day postmarks is a best practice to ensure that voters are given all options to vote their ballot in a timely manner. Current law allows for ballots to be requested up to 4 days before the election, and that is most likely too short of a timespan for a ballot request to be processed, mailed, voted, and returned by mail by the close of polls. We recommend that not only does a state allow the physical postmark on a ballot, but that it also integrates into the USPS system for electronic postmarks to serve as validation that a ballot was mailed on time.
Ballot tracking software such as Ballot Scout or BallotTrax can be a very cost-effective tool to improve Michigan’s current ballot tracking system by allowing voters to track their ballot much like an Amazon package. An expanded notification system helps keep rejection rates low and increases voter confidence and participation.
Processing mail ballots to get them ready for counting before election day will help Michigan get faster election results. Michigan allowed some counties to do preprocessing as a result of the pandemic; however, the State should expand preprocessing to at least 7 days and make it permanent for all future elections in order to reap the benefits.
Voters should have sufficient time to correct any issues with their ballot In the event that a voter’s ballot is rejected. Michigan’s current cure deadline of one day before election day leaves many voters behind. We recommend allowing voters to cure any issues for 5 days after the election.
Recent Legislation
As of May 26, 2021
Michigan made significant electoral progress in 2020. S.B. 757 established the option for municipalities with over 25k residents to process ballots the day before the election with permission. H.B. 5141 established an option for municipal clerks to form combined absentee voter counting boards. In addition, the Secretary of State ordered that absentee ballot applications for the 2020 election cycle be sent to all registered voters for both the August and November elections. The Governor also passed Executive Order 2020-27 to prepay postage for the May primary. Later, the Secretary of State reimbursed the counties that chose to prepay postage for absentee ballots.
The Michigan Legislature has not yet passed relevant legislation to codify these temporary reforms in its 2021 session; however, it still has the opportunity to do so since the session doesn’t end until December. For instance, bills that would establish a permanent absentee application list and alter processing deadlines and absentee counting board requirements have currently passed the House.