News

Actions

Voting changes, COVID-19 change Michigan election for clerks

Posted at 12:05 PM, Jul 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-13 13:00:27-04

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan county and municipal clerks are finding it challenging to meet the needs of voters amid the coronavirus pandemic and following changes in 2018 when state voters approved of same-day voter registration and no-reason absentee voting.

The Secretary of State's office reported this week that over 1.5 million requests for absentee ballots have been made ahead of the Aug. 4 primary, more than three-and-a-half times the number than at the same time ahead of the 2016 election.

Rochester Hills Clerk Tina Barton is among the clerks with concerns. She restructured how her city handles voting, moving 16 of the 32 precincts because they were in senior facilities where health risks were too great.