LANSING, Mich. (WSYM) - Over 10,000 votes were cast, but not counted, in last week’s statewide primary election. Of those the majority (more than 8,600) were rejected either because they were mailed before the election but arrived afterward, or because of signature verification issues.
Both of these issues are addressed by bills already introduced in the state legislature, but not yet voted on.
“The data demonstrates that thousands of people who cast otherwise valid votes were not able to participate in last week’s election solely because the Legislature failed to act ahead of the primary,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “With turnout and absentee ballot numbers expected to double or even triple in November, we could be looking at tens of thousands of Michigan citizens disenfranchised if the legislature again fails to act.”
Benson has called on the Michigan Legislature to take up election reform bills before. She says that a series of such bills would provide additional support to clerks and voters ahead of the November election. The two bills that are currently up for votes are HB 5987, that would allow mailed ballots to count if postmarked by Election Day, and HB 5991, which would require clerks to contact voters if the signature on the absentee ballot does not match the one on their registration.
It’s unknown how many late ballots from the recent primary election arrived within the countable 48-hour window as prescribed in HB 5987.
