-- For immediate release --
Voters can use state’s official site at michigan.gov/vote to check on request
LANSING, Mich. – Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is asking
voters who used a third-party online absentee ballot application not
sanctioned by the state to double-check the status of their request to ensure
they will receive and can cast a ballot.
A state review of miabsentee.com, a privately run website that went live nine weeks before the November general election without testing
or approval of state election officials, found that more than a quarter of applications
in a sampling had not been received by
the local clerk. Clerks reported they were not always able to verify signatures
from a mobile phone to those on file and a state technology expert also raised
security concerns.
Johnson said voters should use the Michigan Voter
Information Center at www.michigan.gov/vote
to confirm whether or not their local clerk received their request for an
absentee ballot. Voters can also check with their local clerk.
“My top priority is making sure every eligible voter has the
opportunity to cast a ballot this November, ” Johnson said. “We could have
voters waiting for an absentee ballot that will never come. No one should be
disenfranchised.”
Voters may request an absentee ballot if they are:
- age 60
years old or older;
- unable
to vote without assistance at the polls;
- expecting
to be out of town on Election Day;
- in jail
awaiting arraignment or trial;
- unable
to attend the polls due to religious reasons; or
- appointed
to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of their precinct
of residence.
Voters may contact their local
clerk to request an absentee ballot. A link to the state’s absentee ballot
application can be found at www.michigan.gov/vote, including a link to What
You Need to Know About Absentee Voting. The application can be printed,
filled out and signed, then mailed or dropped off at a local clerk’s office.
This is the most secure and effective way to request and submit the absentee
ballot application, Johnson added.
The state’s online Voter Information Center also allows
voters to verify if they are registered to vote, find their polling location,
contact their local clerk, view a sample ballot and track their absentee ballot.
For media questions, please call
Gisgie Dávila Gendreau at 517-373-2520.
For more about the Secretary of State's Office:
To find Secretary of State office locations and services, visit www.michigan.gov/sos. Sign up for the official Secretary of State Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/michsos and Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/michigansos. Online services are available at www.expresssos.com.
Customers may call the Department of State Information Center to speak to a customer-service representative at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).
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