(WXYZ) — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said the rejected ballot data from the Nov. 3 election demonstrates the "integrity" of local clerks and voter education initiatives.
“I am extremely proud of the 1,600 clerks across the state who embraced the record setting turnout including more than double the number of absentee ballots ever cast in a Michigan election and vigilantly ensured that all valid ballots were counted,” Benson said in a press release. “It is also gratifying that our voter education efforts, alongside those of countless other nonpartisan organizations, in addition to the installation of secure ballot drop boxes across the state, combined to dramatically reduce the rate of voter disenfranchisement due to late submission and signature errors.”
In total, the Secretary of State's office says 15,300 of 3.3 million absentee ballots were rejected for a variety of reasons recorded by election clerks, compared to 10,600 in the August primary election.
Notably, the rate of rejection for signature issues fell from August to November, from 0.14% to 0.1%, and the number of ballots that arrived after the deadline of 8 p.m. on Election Day also dropped, from 6,400 in August to 3,300 in November.
View a breakdown below:
View a complete breakdown by jurisdiction here.